Chapter 260: Xin Xia, I'm Here.
The Saintess Hall is located at the southernmost end of the entire Grand Ceremony Platform, with a vertical cliff behind it. There is a powerful forbidden barrier within it, making it impossible for anyone to approach or leave the Saintess Hall from this direction.
The Saintess Hall has only one exit, which is the main gate facing the vast platform. Outside the gate is a long, gray velvet carpet that extends far, leading to the burial scaffold in the center of the platform. On both sides of the long carpet are Penny Jia Saintess's emotionally agitated followers. When the culprit is brought out and led towards the burial scaffold, the followers will throw their thorny black spikes at the culprit to express their contempt and anger.
At this moment, in front of the Saintess Hall's main gate, Mo Fan was surrounded by a large group of Knight Hall Knights and adjudicator mages. They treated Mo Fan with extreme caution, fearing that he might do something detrimental to the upcoming Saint Adjudication and funeral!
Mo Fan found their behavior ridiculous.
Even though he was a Super-Order mage, his current strength hardly warranted such extreme caution, did it?
Upon reaching the main gate, ten Golden Radiance Knights stood in two rows, glaring at Mo Fan.
"So you're the one who broke through the Star River Mountain Road? You don't look like much," Gold Sun Knight Captain Ya Fa scoffed, sizing up Mo Fan.
Ya Fa was arguably the youngest Super-Order powerhouse in Parthenon Temple. He was originally Saintess Ande's guardian knight, but with Ande's demise, his status, which was supposed to become a Goddess Knight, plummeted. Now, he was here guarding the Saintess Hall.
The news of Mo Fan breaking through the Star River Mountain Road had spread throughout Goddess Peak. Ya Fa was arrogant and lacked the demeanor of an elder; instead, he was deeply displeased with Mo Fan's flamboyant and unrestrained behavior.
Of course, Ya Fa was also particularly dissatisfied with Xin Xia. There had never been a clear explanation for Ande's death, and he firmly believed that the venomous woman in the Saintess Hall was definitely involved. She was trying to eliminate one competitor after another to inherit the position of Goddess. Otherwise, how could she have rapidly ascended from a mere apprentice maid to the position of Saintess, just one step away from becoming the Goddess?
"If I don't look like much, then how should someone like you, who probably struggled to pass the first stage, be evaluated?" Mo Fan said disdainfully.
"You—"
At this moment, Asha蕊雅, wearing a veil, walked over.
Now, among the selected Saintesses, some had died, and others had been condemned.
In the eyes of many, Asha蕊雅 was undoubtedly the biggest winner.
Asha蕊雅 looked at Mo Fan, then spoke first: "Are you suspecting me?"
Mo Fan said nothing, just quietly looked at her.
"Ande and Penny Jia were indeed my biggest competitors. If nothing had happened to them, the position of Goddess would have been out of my reach. Using Xin Xia to eliminate Penny Jia, I am indeed the one who benefits the most. In fact, I had considered this. The struggle for Goddess is a war where deception is not disdained. The one who ascends to that position will ultimately be remembered through the ages," Asha蕊雅 said directly, not avoiding the other knights.
"Why are you talking nonsense? Open the door," Mo Fan said.
"The moment you see her, you'll realize that this whole matter wasn't orchestrated by anyone; it was simply because Penny Jia accidentally exposed her," Asha蕊雅 said, looking at the guy who had provoked Mo Fan and was now looking livid. "Open the door. Let him see the true face of the person inside."
Although Ya Fa was very annoyed, he could only obey.
The extremely heavy bronze door slowly opened, revealing the tightly interlocked prohibitions dissipating.
The Saintess Hall was somewhat dim, and the light from the holy braziers hanging high on the stone pillars was insufficient to illuminate the vast and empty hall.
As the door opened, Mo Fan walked straight in.
As soon as Mo Fan stepped in, Vice Adjudication Hall Master Xiao Shen, not far away, sensitively exclaimed: "Close the door!"
"Even if he has entered the Super-Order, Vice Hall Master, aren't you making a mountain out of a molehill? What if he broke through the Star River Mountain Road? I can subdue him effortlessly," Gold Sun Knight Ya Fa said arrogantly.
"Hmph, who knows what other unusual abilities that demoness possesses. In life, I have already failed Penny Jia, and I absolutely cannot allow any mistakes in her ascension funeral after her death. When the time comes, I will personally kill her to let Penny Jia rest in peace!!" Vice Hall Master Xiao Shen said.
The Adjudication Hall supported Saintess Penny Jia. Now that the most important candidate had died, the Adjudication Hall's wrath had nowhere to vent. They were all eager for Xin Xia to pay with her life.
Moreover, Xiao Shen was also Penny Jia's father.
"Thump-thump!!!"
The immensely heavy bronze door slammed shut. The prohibitions once again swirled around the patterns on the bronze door, preventing anyone from entering, including Space Element magic.
Mo Fan walked forward, guided by the dim firelight. The completely sealed Saintess Hall made one feel a chill.
Stone pillars stood tall, adorned with various ancient masks, like immortal old monsters perched on the pillars, gazing down. Without the golden, resplendent light, this Saintess Hall had no trace of sacredness; instead, it resembled a dark altar.
Mo Fan walked past the stone pillars. He saw unceasing flames ahead, red holy braziers forming a large circle, gradually narrowing as they ascended the steps.
The holy flames in the braziers flickered without wind, which, to Mo Fan, looked no different from a stake for burning.
At the top of the holy fire altar was an extremely thick giant pillar, presumably the main pillar of the entire Saintess Hall, supporting this grand and magnificent palace.
Beneath the pillar, like a thousand-year-old ancient tree, a snow-silver chain was coiled, with a shackle at one end, tightly clasping the slender waist of a frail woman.
She stood there, head bowed, the bright holy fire illuminating her pale, bloodless face, revealing her thin, haggard, and utterly forlorn appearance.
She was still wearing her Saintess gown, its enormous skirt spreading out on the holy fire altar like endless snow, lightly accentuating her unparalleled, pure, and holy demeanor, like a Titan.
"Xin Xia, I'm here," Mo Fan said softly, looking at Xin Xia there.
Xin Xia opened her eyes, the emotions hidden within them impossible to describe in a few words.
She knew Mo Fan would come, but... she didn't want him to come. She feared herself, but she feared facing Mo Fan's eyes even more.
She finally raised her head and looked at Mo Fan.
Because of his recent battle with the Silver Moon Titan, Mo Fan, though not severely injured, looked quite disheveled.
Without a word, Xin Xia's tears flowed uncontrollably.
Mo Fan directly shattered the restraints on her. This shackle had no prohibitions and was easy to unlock, as what truly confined Xin Xia was not this chain, but the Saintess Hall itself, and the insurmountable armed forces of the Parthenon Temple outside!
Then, Mo Fan embraced her: "It's alright. I'm here for everything."