The cardinal's desiccated body knelt beneath the icon, sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows into the room atop the cathedral's spire, casting a hazy glow upon him.
If he hadn't already died, this scene frozen in time would have been incredibly sacred.
Or rather, it is precisely because he is dead that this moment appears more sacred, more Fragility, and more irreplaceable.
Ed stood there in the doorway without taking a step, looking at the scene inside the room, and for a moment he even had the illusion that his own disturbance would break the peace of the room.
However, Geliwusi paid no attention to this. He called out Luxiusi's name and staggered into the small chapel like a fat, ordinary old man.
But when he reached Luxiusi's side, he seemed to have suddenly lost all his strength, and he couldn't even lay the other's body down properly.
Ed lowered his one eye and sighed deeply in his heart.
He had imagined countless times what it would be like to meet this cardinal face to face, but he never imagined that they would be separated by life and death like this.
The help he received from the other party was countless; they did their best within their capabilities.
Regardless of whether that help ultimately worked, Ed had to admit:
Cardinal Luxiusi Savigny was the first and only being in the world to extend unconditional goodwill to him.
He may have had some doubts about his own identity, or he may have had some hopes for his own purpose, but in any case, he chose to lend a helping hand first, and he never had any selfish desires.
Beneath the icon, Geliwusi steadied his breathing and slowly reached out to lay Luxiusi's body flat on the ground.
He stood beside his colleague of over a hundred years, his expression revealing both genuine feelings and a hint of feigned insincerity.
Ed had already learned from the fat cardinal about his previous conversation with Luxiusi, and while he was feeling dejected, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
While raw power is important, the strength and weaknesses of different abilities are also a crucial factor to consider in battle.
Luxiusi's Clear Void Pine granted him extraordinary perception and the ability to see through all illusions, two qualities that were a natural counter to Sailesi's Dream of Rebirth.
Therefore, even against Sailesi at his peak, Ed felt that Luxiusi might not necessarily lose.
Even if he were to lose, he would certainly have to fight a spectacular battle with his opponent, and he would not die so uneventfully as he did before.
Moreover, the plaza where Geliwusi fought is not far from here, so as one of the three cardinals, he couldn't possibly have failed to notice any obvious fluctuations.
Judging from what the other party just said, Geliwusi still had some doubts about Luxiusi's account until he saw the body.
He didn't go ahead to check on Luxiusi's condition, firstly because the other party had instructed him to come with the Son of God, and he dared not disobey in order to save his life; secondly, he also had some thoughts of clearing himself of suspicion.
so...
Ed has sorted out the current situation:
Cardinal Luxiusi Savigny, one of the three powerful High Tier in the Tree Worship Church Theocracy, was silently killed by an unknown powerful being in a secret room on a Psionic Energy level, an outcome he had long anticipated.
Could it be that other High Tier individuals were behind it?
No, as fellow High Tier, Luxiusi will inevitably resist unless he is determined to die.
Could it be Transcendent Tier- powered hand?
No, although Ed's Root Network only covers a few provinces and a small part of the Wilderness of Chaos, it can still sense that there are currently no Transcendent Tier beings in this world.
etc...
Ed's rapidly racing thoughts suddenly paused for a moment as he recalled a key word that had just crossed his mind during his divergent thinking—
He was determined to die.
Faced with irresistible violence, even beasts have a will to live. A High Tier died silently precisely because he was determined to die.
So, what kind of enemy, what kind of power, would drive Luxiusi to seek death?
The answer is a force he cannot resist, nor does he want to resist.
As Ed pondered the matter more deeply, he considered another possibility, one with a probability approaching zero— Authority.
Authority in this world comes in many forms, such as the unique abilities of vampire grand dukes, the effects that the Grand Foundry Master bestow upon machinery, and one's control over all plant symbiotes and the infinite resurrection granted to the Soul Returner...
In this world, Authority exists in such an unreasonable way.
The Authority that Luxiusi does not want to resist will only come from...
Ed slowly raised his gaze from the Cardinal's body, finally fixing it on the World Tree statue hanging high above.
"Did 'I' do it?"
He muttered to himself, conjuring up the most improbable yet only possible truth.
Ed walked slowly forward and finally stopped in front of Luxiusi's body.
The cardinal's withered body had been laid flat, but his hands were still clasped in front of his chest, in the most devout posture.
He stepped forward, bent down, and, to Geliwusi's astonishment, gently opened Luxiusi's clasped hands.
In his clasped palms lay a withered twig, less than the length of his little finger.
The withered branch looked unremarkable; similar branches could be found everywhere in the Theocracy.
But Ed only glanced at it, and his gaze was fixed on it for a second.
The seemingly ordinary withered branch seemed to possess a magical power, constantly drawing his attention.
Geliwusi had clearly noticed this as well, and he respectfully bent down to pick it up so that Ed could see it more clearly.
"Stop."
Ed suddenly shouted coldly, startling Geliwusi so much that he almost fell backward and landed on his backside.
"Your Highness, I just..."
"If you want to die, then try touching it."
Ed's tone remained cold, but it made Geliwusi realize that he had actually been saved by the other man.
Ed stretched out his right hand and slowly picked up the small, withered twig from Luxiusi's palm.
Just as Geliwusi was about to say something, he saw the right hand of the Son of God before him rapidly aging and withering away, centered on that branch.
This is... a forced Drain of life force?
With just this small, withered branch?
Geliwusi was stunned, and one question after another flooded his mind.
He had seen similar abilities before; apart from the Grand Duke Wens, some rare symbiotic plants could also do similar things.
But none of his preconceived notions could be applied to the scene before him.
Firstly, the person before them is a genuine Son of God; he is the one Drain the life force of others. What level of power could possibly Drain his life force?
Secondly, what exactly is this withered branch? After Drain so much life force, it remains completely unchanged, not even bothering to sprout a single new bud. Where did all that life force go?