Chapter 474: The Counterattack Plan
The purification lasted for a full three days.
During those three days, sharp screams and streams of black mist kept rising into the sky above Celestial Imperial City.
The seeds of "Envy" hidden in the shadows had nowhere to hide under the filtering power of the God-King Rank Law of Light.
When the sunset fell on the third day, a shocking report was delivered to Aiden.
Among the more than five thousand top Reclassers in Celestial Imperial City, about three hundred showed signs of mild corruption.
On normal days, these people were all proud geniuses. But now, they had developed a twisted hatred toward Aiden or other powerful figures.
Among them, fifteen had reached a moderate level of corruption. Their emotions had become extremely unstable and violent.
The most terrifying cases were three level 80 experts with severe corruption. When they were found, their eyes were blood-red, and their minds had already begun to break down. They kept making low, beast-like growls.
If the purification formation had not been activated in time, these three would likely have become complete puppets of the Abyss before long.
As the last trace of black mist was fully purified by the Law of Light, the blood-red color in the eyes of the three hundred-plus Reclassers finally faded. Their minds became clear again.
In the central square of Celestial Imperial City, a huge crowd stood in silence. The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.
The purified Reclassers lowered their heads. Their faces were filled with confusion, shame, and fear.
They clearly remembered the cruel thoughts they had before. Some of them had even secretly cursed Aiden, the city lord who had led humanity toward hope.
"Are we going to die...?"
A young genius who had only been mildly corrupted turned pale. His body could not stop trembling.
Betraying humanity was without question a crime punishable by death on Earth.
Just as everyone was drowning in fear and unease, the void trembled slightly
Aiden, dressed in a black robe, stepped out of the void with his hands behind his back.
He looked like a god descending into the world, watching over the countless people below.
He did not release any pressure, but his unseen presence still made everyone hold their breath without realizing it.
"I know what you are afraid of."
Aiden’s voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone’s ears.
"But remember this. This was not your fault."
As soon as he said this, suppressed gasps rose across the square.
The purified Reclassers suddenly raised their heads and looked at the figure in the sky in disbelief.
"’Envy,’ one of the seven pillars of the Heavenly Demon, has awakened. It is using the cracks in the seal to silently invade your minds."
Aiden’s eyes were sharp as he looked over every face below.
"This is an invisible attack from the Heavenly Demon. It can endlessly magnify the unwillingness and jealousy hidden in your hearts."
"On the path of training, there will always be people above you and below you. Feeling jealousy is normal. But it is not an excuse to betray humanity."
"Today, I will not punish anyone."
Aiden’s voice suddenly rose, like rolling thunder exploding above Celestial Imperial City.
"But I want you to remember this. In the future, if you feel hatred or violent anger growing inside you and you cannot control it, report it to the Guardians at once!"
"The enemy of humanity is the Abyss, not ourselves!"
When his words fell, the entire city went silent.
Then, a wave of cheers and shouts burst out like a storm.
"The City Lord is merciful and righteous!"
"Long live Lord Aiden!"
Countless Reclassers had red eyes.
At this moment, their respect and worship for Aiden reached its peak.
This City Lord did not only have the power to crush all enemies.
He also had the heart and vision to embrace the whole world.
Cheryl stood not far away. Her beautiful eyes shimmered as she looked at Aiden with deep admiration and almost helpless fascination.
"Aiden... he truly is a hero who can hold up the sky."
Meanwhile, in the Great Shaw Empire, inside the Empress’s palace in the Sovereign City.
Eira looked at the report in her hand. A relieved smile appeared on her stunning face.
"The Great Shaw Empire is truly blessed to have Aiden."
She gently stroked the Golden Dragon of National Destiny beside her and murmured softly.
That night, the moonlight was cool like water.
Celestial Imperial City returned to its former peace and prosperity.
However, at the top of the Tower of Laws, the atmosphere was still heavy.
Bella stood alone at the edge of the tower. Her white clothes fluttered loudly in the wind. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on the direction of the Abyss, and she remained silent for a long time.
Aiden appeared behind her without a sound. He stood beside her and also looked toward the endless darkness.
"What are you thinking about?" Aiden asked softly.
Bella did not turn around. Her cold voice sounded a little distant in the night wind.
"Aiden... I sensed the true body of ’Envy.’"
"The corruption power leaking from it right now is not even one-tenth of what ’Pride’ had back then."
She slowly turned her head. Moonlight fell on her flawless side profile, and there was a seriousness in her expression that Aiden had never seen before.
"It is only warming up."
"If it fully wakes up..."
"My purification formation may not even last one day."
...
The night wind howled across the top of the Tower of Laws, stirring up waves of frost and snow.
Bella’s words were like a heavy hammer, striking the empty void.
"It won’t last even one day..."
Aiden stood with his hands behind his back. His deep eyes seemed to pierce through layers of space and reach the disgusting Abyss itself.
At his fingertips, a strand of silver Law of Space coiled like a spirit snake, cutting tiny black holes into the surrounding void.
Passive defense had never been his style.
"If we can’t defend against it, then we attack."
Aiden’s voice was soft, but it carried a fierce authority that allowed no doubt.
Bella’s long dress moved in the wind. She turned her head and looked at him in surprise.
"You want to strike first?"
"When all seven pillars of the Heavenly Demon wake up, Earth will only face destruction."
Aiden turned around. Divine light surged in his eyes, and his voice became cold.
"Instead of sitting here and waiting to die, we should push them back into their seals before they fully wake up!"
...
Half an hour later, in the core control room of the Tower of Laws.
Buzz.
A light-blue holographic projection lit up in the air. Zoey’s delicate face appeared, but her expression was serious.
"City Lord, your idea is insane, but it is also our only chance to survive."
Zoey flicked her fair finger, and a complex star map like a dark spiderweb instantly spread out in the air.
It was a terrifying network with "Pride" at its center and six nodes spreading outward from it.
"The seal of the Seven Pillars has ’Pride’ as its core. It is the source of all the energy."
"If we can strengthen the seal on ’Pride’ again, we can completely cut off the channel that sends awakening energy to the other six pillars."
Zoey’s voice echoed through the secret room, carrying a cold, technological tone.
"But the conditions needed to strengthen the seal are extremely harsh."
Bella stepped forward. Her white dress was as pure as snow, and the pressure of her Supreme God realm slightly twisted the space around her.
"Back then, this seal was created by Yves with the power of a Divine Emperor."
"Now the seal is weakening. If we want to even touch the edge of it, we must have at least the strength of a God-King."
Bella looked at Aiden, her beautiful eyes filled with seriousness.
"And the spell must be cast at the core of the seal."
"That means... we must go deep into the deepest part of the Abyss and face the area where ’Pride’ is waking up."
In that instant, the air in the secret room seemed to freeze.
The deepest part of the Abyss was a forbidden land where even gods could bleed and die.
"The Demon of Pride has already started to awaken. Its projection, and maybe even its true body, are watching the core of the seal."
Bella’s voice turned cold.
"Even as a Supreme God, if I enter that place, there is a very high chance I will fall."
"It will never just watch as the seal is strengthened again."
Zoey also fell silent. The faint light of her projection flickered in the darkness.
This was almost a path with no chance of survival.
However, Aiden suddenly smiled.
With that smile, the heavy pressure in the room disappeared at once.
"If a Supreme God is not enough, what if you add me?"
Aiden took one step forward.
Boom!
A terrifying aura of a Lesser God burst out in an instant. His realm was still below Bella’s, but his divine power carried Yves’s supreme presence. It even faintly stirred a resonance with the Laws in the void.
"You are only a Lesser God..." Bella’s pupils narrowed.
"A Lesser God can still kill a demon."
Aiden’s eyes were full of pride and confidence.
"I have the 10,000x critical hit. I have the trump cards Yves left behind. And I also have the power of creation from the Transmutation Altar."
"If we work together, we have the best chance."
"This time, we will take the fight to the Heavenly Demon!"
Bella looked at him in silence. After a moment, a breathtaking smile finally appeared on her lips.
"Fine. Then I’ll be crazy with you this once."
...
The night before their departure.
Aiden went to a quiet room deep inside Celestial Imperial City.
Kelsey was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her face looked much healthier now, but her eyes still seemed a little empty.
When she saw Aiden come in, her eyes immediately lit up.
"Aiden!"
Aiden walked over and gently rubbed her hair.
"Kelsey, I have to go out and do something important. I may be away for a while."
His voice was gentle as he patiently explained what they were going to do.
He did not hide the truth from her, because the seal inside Kelsey was closely connected to Yves’s plan.
Kelsey listened quietly and nodded obediently.
But just as Aiden was about to stand up and leave, a pair of cold little hands suddenly grabbed the corner of his clothes tightly.
Aiden froze and turned back.
Kelsey’s pretty face was tense. Her large eyes stared at him seriously, and deep within them, faint golden runes seemed to flow.
"Aiden, the voice behind the gate... yesterday, I finally heard one sentence clearly."
Kelsey’s voice was very soft, but it carried an old and distant feeling that did not belong to a child her age.
Aiden’s heart skipped a beat.
"What did it say?"
Kelsey took a deep breath and spoke word by word.
"It said-’Do not seal it. Do not fight it. Understand it.’"
Buzz!
It was as if divine thunder exploded inside Aiden’s mind. He stood there completely frozen.