The Holy City had sunk into the black and white ocean.
At the center of the city, the Seven Archangels were suspended high upon crosses, each of them covered in wounds.
Hearing Lu Jun incite the crowd, Sariel barked fiercely despite his inward fear, "Heretic! You are corrupting the hearts of the people. Despicable!"
Michael, meanwhile, burned with rage. As an authoritarian who placed the Holy City above all else, nothing was harder for him to accept than betrayal from his own people.
After ruling for thousands of years, the Holy City's direct domain naturally possessed countless unwavering loyalists. Whenever an old regime declined, there would always be remnants who remained devoted. This was even more true for a power like the Holy City, which had collapsed overnight.
Unfortunately, Lu Jun's mastery over Psychic Magic had reached an unimaginable level. The slightest wavering in the hearts of those residents was enough for him to shatter their convictions completely, turning them into traitors.
"Hahaha." Lu Jun laughed mockingly. "So the Holy City may set fires, but the common people aren't even allowed to light a lamp?"
The next moment, his expression turned cold as his psychic voice echoed throughout the Holy City.
"Why are you Holy City residents still standing there? Do you intend to live and die with the Holy City? Do you wish to be buried alongside it?"
The moment those words fell, many of the faithful residents broke down in tears.
"Oh God this isn't real, is it? It's just a nightmare, isn't it? Why would You test Your believers like this?"
"Lord have You sent a devil to test my faith?"
Listening to the cries and shaken faith of the Holy City's inhabitants, Gabriel Sharjah's face turned deathly pale, as though she might collapse at any moment. She wanted to cry but had no tears left. She had done practically nothing, yet she had been dragged into this hopeless situation.
She had not even fully returned as an Angel yet. Moreover, she was the once in a millennium South American prodigy, unlike Remiel, Uriel, and Raphael, who had all been chosen from the traditional noble families of the Western Continent.
The countless sins the Holy City had accumulated over thousands of years had absolutely nothing to do with her.
At that moment, Lu Jun sensed the wavering in Gabriel Sharjah's heart through his Psychic Magic. He remembered her circumstances. In the original timeline, she had been the only Angel who had ever spoken up for Mo Fan. At the same time, she had made irreplaceable contributions to the development of Fusion Magic.
She was unquestionably one of the greatest talents of her era, possessing both astonishing cultivation potential and extraordinary research ability.
Unfortunately, in the original timeline, Sharjah had been ostracized. The other six Archangels had joined forces to sideline her completely, leaving her without even the slightest authority.
Although they claimed it was because she had colluded with Mo Fan, that excuse was laughable. If an Angel could be brought down so easily, how could they possibly remain the world's supreme authority? The real reason was simply that Sharjah had never truly shared the Holy City's ideals.
Lu Jun's dual pupils glimmered as he fixed his gaze upon Sharjah and said in a low voice, "Sharjah, I never expected you to be the Archangel Gabriel. When we first met in South America, I already felt that you were hiding far greater potential, so I chose to step back. After that, our cooperation went quite smoothly."
"The Stardust Magic Tool sold extremely well, and you were the one who helped me locate the Water Element Heavenly Seed."
"Now, if you're willing to submit, step forward willingly, expose the Holy City's hidden crimes, and openly condemn them, then for the sake of our past friendship, I'm willing to consider sparing your life. What do you think?"
The corners of Lu Jun's lips curled upward, making him appear exceptionally sinister and malevolent.
The moment those words were spoken, the expressions of Sariel and the other Archangels changed drastically.
Being captured and subjected to endless torture was painful enough. Watching the very foundation of the Holy City crumble was utterly despairing. Yet what terrified them most was betrayal from one of their highest-ranking members.
The destruction of the Holy City alone was not the end of the world. Lu Jun might dominate for a time, but if he wished to seize power and fill the enormous vacuum left behind, it would never be an easy task. Tremendous upheaval would inevitably follow.
But if an Angel defected, the situation would be entirely different. Not only would Lu Jun instantly gain legitimate succession to the Holy City's authority, but if one of their own publicly condemned them, history would forever record their crimes. Their infamy would be eternal.
"Sharjah! You wouldn't dare!"
"Gabriel, don't forget that you're one of the Holy City's Seven Archangels!"
"You may become someone's dog for now, but it won't last forever. Sooner or later, you'll be judged as well!"
The Archangels roared in fury, desperately warning Gabriel.
Lu Jun merely chuckled. He casually extended a hand, and an invisible force descended, sealing the mouths of all six Archangels. They could only glare at him with eyes filled with hatred.
He looked down at Sharjah and asked indifferently, "Have you made your decision?"
Lu Jun valued talent. He had no desire to slaughter the innocent needlessly, nor did he ignore the practical considerations of governing the world afterward. But if she stubbornly refused to yield, he would show her no mercy either.
Hearing his words, Gabriel Sharjah remained silent for a long time. Under the pressure of death and the looming threat of torture, the cracks in her heart grew wider and wider.
She could not bear to imagine what awaited her. For women caught in the chaos of war, the darkness that followed was often far more horrifying and tragic than what men suffered.
Finally, she spoke hoarsely.
"I've heard that you've mastered Fusion Magic. It represents a revolution in magic. Will you promote it throughout the entire world?"
The moment she said those words, it was clear that Sharjah had already chosen Lu Jun's side. She merely needed a reason to step down gracefully.
Sariel and the others were consumed by powerless fury and despair.
Lu Jun smiled in appreciation of her wisdom.
"Of course. I made that promise to the one who developed this magic."
"Very well." Gabriel lowered her head. "I surrender. I am willing to testify against the Holy City's crimes."
The restraints binding her disappeared. She glanced toward the six Archangels, who were still hanging in agony. A complicated expression crossed her face, and a trace of reluctance flickered in her eyes. In the end, however, she spoke quietly.
"The Holy Inquisition twisted right and wrong, using investigations into Calamity Mages, forbidden arts, and taboo magic as excuses to eliminate anyone they considered a threat."
"Countless geniuses throughout the Magic World were falsely accused and executed."
"The Holy Inquisition has always acted under the secret orders of the Six Archangels. They fabricated crimes that never existed, framed the Holy Son Wentai of the Parthenon Temple, and instructed the Thirteen Inquisitors to cast black votes."
The more Sharjah spoke, the more impassioned she became. She had long been disgusted by many of the Holy City's practices. Now, justice was finally being carried out.
"And there is also the hidden Holy Shadow Organization. Every single member is a Forbidden Mage. Anyone who threatens the Holy City's position is placed on their blacklist! The mysterious deaths of numerous influential figures throughout history were all connected to them. The assassins responsible are as follows."
Hearing this, Lu Jun's smile grew even wider.
He had long since activated the Triangular Dimensional Mirror, projecting every scene unfolding here to the entire Magic World. He even broadcast the footage of the Holy Shadow Forbidden Mage infiltrating the Ancient Capital, as well as the two Archangels attacking Tang Yue and Lu Mei.
This served not only as a complete exposure of the Angels' despicable methods, but also as a warning to every major power in the world. Anyone who dared cross the line and was caught by him would be subjected to every imaginable form of torture, regardless of morality. Even their entire family and bloodline would suffer the consequences.
As Gabriel Sharjah continued her passionate testimony.
With the overwhelming authority of his Four Divine Thrones, Lu Jun merely willed it, and one core member after another of the Holy City, Holy Inquisition, the Holy Shadow Organization, and the other central factions of the Holy City were dragged out from the vast ocean.
There were well over ten thousand of them.
Some cursed at him hysterically.
Others dropped to their knees, begging desperately for mercy.
Lu Jun had no intention of holding only the Seven Archangels accountable.
Every core member, every pillar of the organization, and even every lower-ranking accomplice who had willingly committed atrocities would all be judged.
As for people like them, however, Lu Jun had no interest in torturing them.
A swift death would suffice.
He pointed with a single finger.
The Tai'a Sword instantly split into hundreds of millions of sword rays, slashing down across the battlefield.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
With countless wet thuds, enormous numbers of members were beheaded on the spot, dying with their eyes wide open.
Blood splattered throughout the Holy City.
A crimson mist filled the sky, staining the once pure and sacred city a horrifying scarlet.
Remaining true to his principle of wasting nothing, Lu Jun gathered every one of those high-quality Mage souls into the Underworld, where they could later be forged into Undead, or even revived and placed under his command.
Such ruthless methods utterly shocked every force around the world watching these events unfold.
From the very beginning, Lu Jun had never intended to play the role of a righteous hero this time.
He had no interest in pretending to be virtuous while acting otherwise.
He had come as the Evil God, the Great Demon King.