Chapter 016: A Reluctant Choice

Du Fan felt no fear at all. According to Gannon, he wasn’t from this world—after all, as a traveler from another realm, he indeed was an outsider.
Though deities were considered supreme beings, in Du Fan’s view, since they needed believers and fought among themselves, they too had weaknesses.
Any being with desires had weaknesses, even mighty deities…
As a mere mortal, he was insignificant to any deity, so he could exploit their contempt and weaknesses to achieve many things.
If he could follow Gannon’s instructions and unlock the so-called demon god, though he didn’t know the consequences, the other party probably wouldn’t repay kindness with hostility…
Even if they did, he had no other choice. Even if High Priest Gannon wasn’t an angel, his strength was such that both he and Ringo would be in a desperate situation and definitely not his match. If he refused his request… the consequences were hard to predict…
Even if they didn’t kill him, abandoning him here would mean certain death.
So, he had to take things one step at a time. At least for now, even if faced with danger, High Priest Gannon—or rather, the Archangel—would surely do everything to protect him.
Under these circumstances, this was already the best outcome.
Gannon stopped speaking and slowly stood up. His expression seemed somewhat better, perhaps because Du Fan’s “choice” aligned with his wishes. He looked at Du Fan and nodded slightly, signaling that he could continue.
Gannon first walked slowly into the depths of the forest. Du Fan pulled the dazed Ringo along, and the two stumbled after him—they were both severely injured and exhausted. But with such circumstances, where was there time for rest?
Perhaps waking up from her shock, Ringo whispered beside Du Fan, “Du Fan… did you really agree to this? If what he said is false… if you help open the Gate of the Abyss… then you’ll become a sinner among humans.”
“And so what?” Du Fan replied indifferently.

Reine paled and continued, “Even if it’s true that the demon god is sealed inside the Abyssal Gate… but since his name contains the character for ‘demon’… I’m afraid… I’m afraid…”
Du Fan let out a low sigh and said softly, “History is always written by the victors. As for this so-called Demon God… if the gods had won that war back then… perhaps he would now be called the God of Light instead of the Demon God. Just a name doesn’t mean much; you don’t need to worry too much. Besides, do you really think the two of us still have a choice right now?”
Du Fan didn’t deliberately lower his voice on this last sentence. He knew full well that with Gannon’s strength, if he wanted to eavesdrop, he could hear them even if they were hiding underground.
Reine remained silent, it was unclear whether she had listened at all.
Along the way, they encountered a few magical beasts occasionally, but as Du Fan had expected, although Gannon seemed injured, he effortlessly dealt with them. Seeing that the two were hungry and thirsty, he even found some oddly shaped fruits for them to eat, which was better than nothing.
Judging from the light above, the three of them had already reached dusk by the time they continued walking. As Du Fan and Reine’s pace slowed further, Gannon turned back and said softly, “There’s not much time left… If night falls, even I won’t be able to protect you fully. Daytime is the safest time here.”
Du Fan gave a bitter smile, thinking of that towering, evil-faced Spider Queen. Daytime here was indeed “incredibly safe.”
But despite that thought, Du Fan knew clearly that this Angel Lord would never deceive him at such a critical moment. He could only sigh and pull Reine along to speed up their pace.
After walking for some time longer, the jungle ahead gradually opened up, revealing a large clearing in front of the three of them.
Gannon quickened his steps and reached the edge of the clearing before suddenly sighing softly, “We’re here.”
Du Fan followed behind and took a few looks, only to see a highly complex magic circle drawn on the open ground. With Du Fan’s knowledge, being able to understand even a fraction of it was already remarkable.
He had initially wondered why the place sealing the demon god wasn’t concealed, but then he realized that those who could make it through so many dangers to reach here wouldn’t be slowed down by a little deception. So, in this case, it was better to keep it simple.

Du Fan frowned as he stared at the magic circle on the ground, sighing softly. “What should I do? Please don’t tell me to cover the magic circle with blood—even if youdisassemble me, I wouldn’t be able to do that.”
Gannon replied calmly, “Of course not… While your blood is indeed needed, it only takes one drop.”
Du Fan sighed again and murmured, “Still… such a cliché… just one drop of blood… Hmph… hmph…”
Gannon ignored Du Fan. He stepped to the center of the magic circle, quickly recited a series of spells, then waved his hands slightly…
Du Fan felt a black light emanate from his palms, seemingly illuminating the entire jungle. Then, as if activated, the entire magic circle began to glow. With a deafening roar, a black beam shot upward from its center, piercing the clouds until it reached a point beyond human sight. The magic circle rotated gently…
An overwhelming pressure surged forward. Ringing Sound collapsed to the ground like an antelope facing a lion. Although Du Fan was less affected, his legs trembled uncontrollably. He hadn’t known what this was before, but now he understood—it was infinite divine power.
If even the sealed demon god could possess such power, how much more so could the gods of the heavens?
Staring at the black light rising into the sky, Du Fan wondered—couldn’t the gods of the heavens detect this anomaly? There was no need for them to come personally; even just an angel would be doomed with their own strength!
Damn Gannon! If he had known this would happen, he would never have come here, even if it meant dying.
Du Fan scanned the magic circle and saw Gannon lying on the ground, with a faint light resembling wings spreading behind him. But soon, that light disappeared.
Everything around them distorted. Gannon suddenly stood up, spread his arms, and raised his head high. His body slowly floated upward… like a deity descending to the world…
Du Fan saw everything blur before his eyes. It seemed as though space itself was tearing apart. He even faintly saw countless cracks appearing around him, just like from his Space Tear Slash technique.
Gannon rose higher and higher. Finally, to the shock of Ringing Sound and Du Fan, his figure plummeted. The black screen before them shattered into pieces with a crackling sound, then turned into divine light and vanished into the air.

What appeared before the two of them was a tree…
This tree was unimaginably huge, yet its branches and leaves were lush. Countless beams of light streamed down from it, like falling leaves, making the light extremely gentle. Du Fan sighed inwardly: This is truly amazing. This tree must be thousands of years old. Moreover, it seemed to exude a sense of holiness and gentleness. If the guys from the Holy Church discovered it, Roland Continent would likely gain another sacred place.
At that moment, Gannon had already looked up from the ground. He walked up to Du Fan, glanced at the giant tree, and said, “Let’s go. This is the place.”
Du Fan frowned and asked, “You made such a big fuss just now. Aren’t you afraid the gods in the heavens will notice?”
Gannon glanced at Du Fan and replied, “To prevent any of the Twenty-Seven Apostles from coming to rescue the Demon God, the gods in the heavens placed a barrier here. No matter what happens inside, those outside won’t be able to know. So don’t worry—no angels will come to take your life.”
Du Fan smiled awkwardly, realizing that Gannon had seen through his thoughts.
He simply nodded and asked, “What are the Twenty-Seven Apostles?”
Gannon gave Du Fan another deep look and said, “It seems you really know nothing. Has your Light God not even told his followers this? Never mind. I’ll explain it to you when we have the chance.”
Du Fan pouted and asked, “So what’s special about this place?”
Gannon replied indifferently, “The Demon God’s Temple… Enough nonsense. Just go and see for yourself.”
With that, Gannon slowly stepped forward.
Du Fan sighed slightly and quickly followed behind Lingsound.
The closer they got, the more amazed Du Fan became. The beams of light seemed to be able to penetrate a person’s body. He had no idea what they were. Meanwhile, the giant tree appeared even taller. Du Fan sensed a powerful sense of holiness and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. This place must be the holiest on Roland Continent.