Free Web NovelChapter 440: Chapter 49: Master of Armor Tomb
A Holy Spirit is, in essence, a Spirit of Nature born within an Order Domain. Before a Holy Spirit is born, there must be a Holy Land with an extremely dense aura of Order. The spirit and the Domain intertwine, creating an innately powerful Order Creature.
The Domain where the Woodland Immortal was born was once a famous Magic Forest in the Land of Thousand Lakes.
Most Holy Spirits are born in forests. After all, a place needs to be both vibrant and natural, and nothing is more representative of that than a forest.
Furthermore, as one of the most primitive vessels of nature, forests readily accept the Power of Order. For instance, the Purity Forest accepted the concept of the "moon," which gave rise to the Pure Holy Spirit. This lineage’s power is naturally linked to the Purity Moon, and compared to other human groups, the Purity People possess the Talents of "Glowing Radiance" and "Aesthetics."
The Radiant Holy Tree is obviously linked to the "sun" and "prosperity," while the Feast Fire Holy Spirit is linked to "flame" and "forging"...
’So what concept does this Master of Armor Tomb represent, then?’
Westheid recalled his knowledge of Holy Spirits and asked Anise about it.
The Enchanting Demon tilted her head slightly, tracing a slender, pale finger over her cherry-red lips as she spoke slowly.
"My memory of the Woodland Immortal is faint. I only visited their Holy Land once. That Magic Forest... it was originally a graveyard."
"A graveyard?"
"Before it became a graveyard, that Holy Land was a rather pristine and deep jungle, regarded as a common holy site by many different peoples. Before my father unified the Order of the Land of Thousand Lakes, there were endless feuds and wars between the various groups. Even so, they would send the bodies of their Heroes here for burial, along with the Battle Armor they wore in life."
’Hmm, that’s a rather simple custom.’
"Over time, the place became filled with Armor Tombs, which merged with the forest."
"The Armor nourished by the Woodland Immortal is essentially an imitation and reconstruction of Heroic Spirits. There are all sorts, derived from humans, Heroic Spirits, Demons, and Spirit Monsters. This Armor is a convergence of past Heroic Spirits, and also an extension of their body and will."
"Their goal is actually quite clear, and it’s the complete opposite of mine—to bring eternal peace and harmony to the Land of Thousand Lakes."
As Westheid carefully processed the information the Demon Maiden had given him, she gave the man a playful wink and said:
"The Woodland Immortal was the last of us to awaken. But ever since they did, they’ve been planning to personally finish their unfinished business. They’re pretty much done warming up now. If you don’t come over soon, I’m going to have to make a run for it myself in a few months!"
Anise’s smile suddenly vanished. In an extremely solemn tone, she said to Westheid:
"If you intend to fight them, you’d better start preparing now. The more the Woodland Immortal’s Domain expands, the harder they will be to subdue."
...........
West of Serralis, in the Demon Realm of the Master of Greedy Banquet.
The abandoned City in the Lake had not been invaded or destroyed by the Master of Armor Tomb. There wasn’t even any slaughter.
All the mortals were still alive in their settlements and towns.
But they were only "alive."
Because every town was completely covered by the jungle, as if it had been abandoned for centuries. All kinds of lush, green vegetation occupied every visible space.
The mortals, whether standing or lying down, were all enveloped by the jungle, their faces wearing expressions of peace and bliss.
No matter how terrified or shocked they had been by the spreading forest, now, wrapped and bound by dry branches, they were inevitably happy.
Although it looked terrifying, the living forest covering the entire City in the Lake was not some man-eating horror. Suspending the mortals wasn’t a way to drain their Life Force; using them as nutrients would be far too twisted. A being that was once a noble Holy Spirit, even a demonized one, wouldn’t stoop to something like that.
’Besides, how much nourishment can a bit of flesh and blood provide? It’s probably not as efficient as the Thousand Laws Ceremony... as a power source.’
However, they were indeed useful. In the beautiful dream woven by the Master of Armor Tomb, the wills of the people could finally be unified—unified into one.
A "harmony" a hundred, even a thousand times more radical than the Grand Ensemble—this was the scene the Master of Armor Tomb hoped and expected to create.
The forest was so silent that not even a hint of a human voice could be heard, only the rustling of the gentle breeze. But there was, in fact, a sound. If one held their breath and listened carefully, a voice could be heard within the lingering echoes of the Grand Ensemble.
It seemed to be a passage from Emperor Qianlu’s hymn, the "Song of Melody Ensemble":
"Let every tribe in the Land of Rhythm have the right to join the ensemble of all beings."
"Let the lakes, surrounded by silver and forest, thereby know true unity."
"From this day forth, the happiness of mortals shall be everlasting. With this, He shall create a thousand years of peace, His grace given to all without distinction, bestowing vibrant life upon seventy-seven city-states."
"Call forth distant notes to travel the great sky; play harmonious runes to travel the great lakes."
"Sow goodwill by day, transmit knowledge by night. Erase hatred from the past, create tranquility in the future."
"Ah... and so it is known..."
"The many are the king, and the king is the many."
"..."
The voice was ancient and ethereal, like the humming of a pure maiden, yet also like the delirious ramblings of a dying old man.
It mixed with the Grand Ensemble, ephemeral and indistinct, yet omnipresent.
The City in the Lake had already become a part of the Magic Forest. Including the mortal souls within, it had all become a single, breathtakingly vast and beautiful vista.
And outside the City in the Lake was another astonishing scene.
Verdant vines, shrubs, and vibrant blossoms surged in waves beneath one magnificent, giant tree after another. The color and texture of every blade of grass and every tree seemed like an oil painting—deep, yet blurred.
As if seen through a distorted filter, suits of armor knelt quietly amid the flowers or under the shade of the trees.
Their styles were all different. Some were enormous suits of black Armor covered in vicious spikes, their structures completely mismatched with a human form, looking more like they were made for some giant beast;
Some wore glorious crowns and exquisite surcoats, insanely encrusted with countless tiny gems and pearls;
Some were suits of Secret Silver Armor, gleaming brightly, with faint gold inscriptions covering every inch of their surface, like works of art;
Others were simply Armor made from scorched, dead wood, looking as if they had been cracked by lava, with crimson flames still flowing from their cores...
From their styles alone, one could tell that this Armor had once belonged to races such as humans, Elves, giant beasts, treants, and even ghosts.
What they all had in common was that every suit of Armor was covered in blossoms that glowed like lanterns and entwined with verdant vines and green leaves. A brilliant and captivating glimmer emanated from these flowers and leaves, flowing into the Armor.
Like vehicles, they were undergoing post-battle repairs, maintenance, and refueling.
After absorbing sufficient nutrients, these Armor Tombs began to move with a great GRINDING and CREAKING. They rose to their feet one after another and continued their march in a single direction.
"Continue. Bring eternal peace to the Thousand Lakes."
That inscrutable voice rang out again, though it was unclear whether it was giving a command or just talking to itself.
