259. Full Ascent
Several hours later, I set down the pen and handed the stack of papers to Robert Fairweather.
His hands trembled. Were he not a spirit, tears would have streamed down his face.
I patted his shoulder, staggered to my feet, and walked to the shelf along the opposite wall.
"Junior Brother is interested in these too?" Robert Fairweather stood up. His speech was now completely fluent, even when not discussing the Golden Body Technique.
"After studying profound subjects, I need some basic material to clear my mind."
I began flipping through the dozen or so manuals on the shelf.
"That makes sense," Fairweather nodded in agreement. He used to do the same, though he only read miscellaneous books and never studied material about Ward of Nature, finding it somewhat crude.
"What are you plan to do next?" He sensed his young junior brother was preparing to leave.
"Head to the Martial Abbey to ask Senior Brother Thompson for a vacancy."
After the panel displayed new lines of text, I bid Senior Brother Fairweather farewell and left the attic.
… …
"Look, he's out!" The moment I walked out of the attic, more than a dozen spirits simultaneously turned their gaze toward me. Someone with particularly thick skin had already approached me.
"Junior Brother Kane, have you found a Golden Body Technique that suits you?"
"Yes, I have." I nodded.
Hearing this, all the Seekers of Redeemer present visibly reacted. They forced smiles while exchanging glances that poorly concealed their profound shock.
The young man had essentially confirmed his status as an Upper Realm Seeker of Redeemer.
Terrifying!
The previous rumors were true—this prodigy indeed possessed an absorption ability so powerful it defied belief.
Now that he had chosen a Golden Body Technique, he would certainly need to use the faith power of the Abbey disciples.
At this thought, several of them exhibited slight unease in their expressions.
...
In the Nave of the Martial Abbey, four figures in black robes had just completed a Cleansing.
Reverend Thompson patted his sleeve and unconsciously sighed.
"What's wrong? Has our junior brother gone to patrol the Twenty-Five States again?" the chubby abbey priest asked with a chuckle.
"No, not that." Thompson shook his head with some satisfaction. "He's been training in the Abbey Repository... I just feel he isn't very close to us."
"Perhaps it's because we're old and ugly," Thompson said with a frown, stroking his beard.
Hearing this, the other three glared at him simultaneously, not bothering to argue with the old fox.
At that moment, I entered the hall and approached them.
I bowed formally. "Greetings, Senior Brothers."
Upon seeing this, everyone's faces lit up with smiles.
What nonsense was old fox Thompson spouting—isn't our junior brother quite pleasant?
"Are you all right?" Unlike the other three, Thompson furrowed his brows and quickly walked forward.
He immediately noticed that I lacked energy.
"I'm just a bit tired. I've been practicing Golden Body Technique with the senior brother in the attic."
I shook my head and handed over the Key of Inspector.
Hearing my casual response, the other abbey priests' expressions turned extremely surprised and curious.
"You've already started working on the Golden Body Technique?"
"Still exploring." I replied.
"Exploring..." The chubby abbey priest quietly shifted his gaze, swallowing hard with a dry throat.
Looking at his two fellow disciples, he found their expressions even more astonished than his own.
The prerequisite for exploring was to enter the door. Most Seekers of Redeemer were still outside the threshold, struggling to figure out how to strengthen their Redeemed Spirit, without the slightest idea of how to digest faith power.
Senior Brother Thompson truly struck gold this time.
This young man, discovered by chance, not only possessed an astonishing physique but also demonstrated comprehension that far exceeded anyone's imagination!
"Huff..." Thompson didn't take the gold cross, standing stunned for a long while before releasing a long breath.
He had roughly estimated when John would break through to the Upper Realm of Seeker of Redeemer, but never imagined it would take less than two months.
"Use mine for now, and later we'll find someone to give up a position for you." He took out a thin golden booklet from his sleeve.
The faith power in the Martial Abbey was the foundation of New Terra.
Every portion had already been allocated for a specific purpose.
Those in higher positions had priority in utilizing this faith power. Fairweather and the four Abbey priests held the highest priority.
Fairweather guarded the Abbey Repository, the priests protected the capital city.
Only with their permission could other Seekers of Redeemer access faith power. Thompson's Golden Ledger functioned like a root account that controlled numerous subordinate accounts.
"Brother Thompson," the chubby abbey priest called out. He didn't voice his disapproval openly, but his meaningful glance toward Thompson spoke volumes.
Control of the Golden Ledger was crucial to the safety and functioning of New Terra.
In the wrong hands, it could render New Terra extremely vulnerable and lock up vital resources during times of crisis.
Naturally, the chubby abbey priest understood Senior Brother Thompson's reasoning.
By giving John the highest priority possible, no one could disrupt his training by suddenly consuming a large portion of faith power.
But wasn't he taking too big a risk by trusting someone whom he had met only a handful of times?
"Brother Kane, I sent someone to Cascadia to retrieve your records since you joined H.A.R.M."
Thompson caressed the golden booklet and sighed emotionally. "Apart from slaying vampires and eliminating evil, there's hardly anything else to find fault with. I'm going out on a limb to trust you this once."
With that, he handed over the Golden Ledger. "Can I trust you?"
The other three abbey priests remained silent.
Senior Brother Thompson had unhesitatingly chosen the Lion-heart Golden Body, using the word "guard" to digest faith power.
He viewed the tragic situations in Cascadia and Florida as temporary setbacks that could be set aside, as he had vowed to protect the entirety of New Terra.
The only way to achieve this was to break through to the Fifth Realm.
If New Terra collapsed, he would suffer a devastating backlash from the faith power, causing his Redeemed Spirit to completely dissipate.
It was precisely this commitment that enabled Senior Brother Thompson to command the fallen Lion-heart Golden Body.
Having discovered a chance to protect New Terra, he would naturally invest everything he had—no one could dissuade him from this course.
"I'll try," I said, taking the golden booklet without making any promises.
I bowed to everyone, bid them farewell, and turned to leave the Martial Abbey hall.
...
The Abbey was eerily quiet.
After a long while, an abbey priest finally spoke: "Brother Thompson, this kind of behavior could easily get you labeled as autocratic. After this rotation ends, I'm afraid no one will choose you as abbey priest again."
Hearing this, Thompson patted his sleeve. "Desperate diseases require drastic remedies. Young Brother Kane possesses talent surpassing Brother Fairweather, yet without Fairweather's bottleneck. If even he can't save New Terra, I truly can't imagine who else could."
"If he succeeds," Thompson said, suddenly smiling, "then let the Great Paladin sit on the right, Brother Kane in the middle, and I shall certainly sit on the left—in the Abbey for generations to remember."
"As for those idle gossips..." He turned around. "It's a good thing that I have thick skin."
...
Courtyard A, Martial Abbey Housing.
Myriad thoughts churned in my mind, waves of emotions swirling within me.
Yet I had no intention of resting.
By now, I had gained a clearer understanding of New Terra's situation.
A precarious tower, barely maintaining its stability.
Many of my enemies—such as the Blood Transformation Vampire Emperor and Fox Wonderland—were being held at bay by this tower.
I urgently needed to acquire enough strength to protect myself before the tower's collapse.
If possible, I should also try to safeguard this tower.
The Martial Abbey had been exceedingly generous, providing everything I needed without hesitation. In return, they asked only one thing: that I remain quietly within its walls.
Unfortunately, even that, I couldn't promise.
[Remaining Absorbed Lifespan: 86,100 years]
Time passed. In Courtyard A, several Seekers of Redeemer paused mid-conversation, their gazes lifting toward the sky in confusion.
"Why has the density of faith power suddenly shifted?"
Praying for millions—even in simulation—was a slow, arduous process. So too was the forging of a Golden Body.
A gleam flickered in my eyes. In the next instant, vast reserves of absorbed lifespan surged forth, pouring into the Golden Body for the Reborn technique!
My expression alternated between ferocious and serene.
Boundless streams of invisible white light flooded into my body. Once digested, a single streak of golden brilliance emerged from between my brows.
It hovered like a candle flame—fragile, wavering, as if the faintest breeze might snuff it out. Yet it radiated a profound, ineffable aura.
Gently swaying in the air.
I recognized it instantly. It bore the same essence as the aura that had once separated from the Golden Body during my Cleansing at the Martial Abbey—but thousands of times more refined, like the difference between residue and quintessence.
I reached out. The formless faith power now had substance—tangible, real.
This was the Vessel of the Redeemer's Golden Body.
A mere speck, yes. But it marked my full ascent into a new Realm.