noffsinger Chapter 754 Divine Punishment - Hailan
Chapter 754 Divine Punishment - Hailan
"Join our Temple of Creation..."
When these words came from the mouth of the female deity opposite him, Zhang Heng's icy expression finally underwent a subtle change.
It wasn't anger, nor fear, but a kind of astonishment—as if one had heard some outrageous joke, tinged with a sense of absurdity.
"Oh?"
He slightly raised his chin, his hands still in the pockets of his white coat, his posture relaxed.
But those eyes were like two drawn swords, slicing straight at the blue, chaotic mask opposite them.
"You want me to join? Great, that's interesting..."
He paused, his voice carrying a deliberate, almost provocative, playful tone.
"That first divine punishment is called Eternity, right? Does he agree with it?"
That's a tricky question. It's both a test of the other party's authority and a probe into the organizational structure within the Temple of Creation.
More importantly, he deliberately emphasized the word "eternity" to see how this tenth divine being named Hailan would react.
A soft laugh came from the other side.
The laughter was different from the surprise just now; it carried a calm and leisurely air, as if everything was under control.
The blue mask lifted slightly, and moonlight flowed across its chaotic patterns, like tides overflowing a shallow beach.
"Young man, you're overthinking it."
Her voice was clear and melodious, yet gentle; each word was like a smooth pearl, slowly rolling into the night.
"Let me introduce myself first. I am the Tenth Divine Punishment, codename 'Hailan'."
She bowed slightly, her posture elegant to the point of humility, as if she were giving a formal self-introduction.
The white cloak swayed gently with her movements, outlining an even more alluring figure, but Zhang Heng's gaze never left the Latias beside her.
“You don’t need to worry…” Hailan continued, her tone carrying a reassuring tone.
“I am not a combatant. In the Temple of Creation, my role is different from others—I am the inviter.”
She raised her slender, fair hand and pointed at Zhang Heng in the air, her movements gentle yet carrying a sense of certainty.
"I'm in charge of finding those... who truly possess the potential, the qualifications, and the ability to resonate with the deeper secrets of this world. And you—"
She withdrew her hands, placing them behind her back, the hem of her white cloak swaying gently in the night breeze.
"You're a perfect match for us."
Zhang Heng narrowed his eyes slightly. He stood beside Doronbarut, his white coat fluttering in the wind, but his gaze was like a frozen pool.
"Non-combatants?!"
It slowly moved away from the white figure and landed on the red and white Pokémon beside her.
Latias.
Among Pokémon enthusiasts, it has a rather humorous nickname – Red Plane.
Its streamlined body and the wing-like structure that folds up close to its back do indeed bear a strange resemblance to some kind of aircraft.
Latias and its counterpart Latios are known as the "Infinite Pokémon" or the "Latios Siblings".
They are legendary beings with dragon and supernatural attributes, dwelling on distant southern islands, and possessing the magical ability to sense people's hearts and reflect their emotions.
It does indeed have the ability to test people's hearts and minds, thus eliminating the possibility of espionage.
Under normal circumstances, their combat power is indeed at a medium level among legendary Pokémon.
It is not as domineering as Rayquaza, nor as overwhelming as Mewtwo, nor does it possess the power to change the world like Groudon or Kyogre.
But Zhang Heng never looked down on them because they were "medium level".
What makes the Water City siblings most feared is never their normal attribute combinations or unique moves.
Instead, it's Mega Evolution.
Zhang Heng's mind stirred slightly, and the system's cold yet precise detection interface appeared.
It spread through his consciousness like invisible ripples, presenting him with all the information about Latias:
Pokémon Name: Latias
[Attribute: Psychic, Dragon]
[Titanium Crystal Properties: Superpowers]
[Level: MAX (Max Level)]
[Qualification: Master Level]
【Characteristic: Levitation】
Held Item: Latias Mega Evolution Stone
really……
Zhang Heng sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm.
The Mega Stone was cleverly embedded inside the triangular symbol on Latias's chest, blending seamlessly with its body. It would be difficult to spot with ordinary eyes unless detected by the system.
A legendary Pokémon trainer carrying a Mega Evolution Stone claims he is "not a combatant"?
That's a lie.
Zhang Heng could even imagine what would happen if he explicitly refused, or even showed hostility.
Latias, who at this moment appeared docile and harmless, simply quietly erecting a defensive barrier.
It will instantly undergo Mega Evolution, transforming into a more ferocious form with a massive increase in speed and special attack.
The blue energy shield that currently envelops Hailan and isolates her from all detection will no longer be merely a "defense" but will be transformed into an "area" that can be used for attack at any time.
Therefore, he had to take every word the woman opposite him said with extreme care.
"Invite me?" Zhang Heng asked, his voice still calm, as if he were just discussing the weather.
"What if... I don't want to?"
He emphasized the words "unwilling" to see the other person's reaction.
Hailan silently shook her head.
The head-shaking motion was slow, carrying a certainty as if he had foreseen everything, and a hint of tolerance as if he were watching a child throw a tantrum.
"Will not."
Her voice was soft, yet undeniable.
"We... have grasped the secret of this world. A truth that most people will never be able to touch in their entire lives, a truth that is enough to overturn all understanding."
She leaned forward slightly, the brim of her white hood fluttering gently in the wind, revealing a small section of her smooth, jade-like chin.
"I believe you will be interested."
Zhang Heng frowned slightly.
He had already experienced the madness and fanaticism of the Temple of Creation firsthand.
The First Divine Punishment is eternally mysterious and powerful; the Second Divine Punishment is all-encompassingly bizarre; the Fourth Divine Punishment is the mad vine's ferocity; the Seventh Divine Punishment is the plague's insidious poison; the Eighth Divine Punishment is the lightning's arrogance...
What gives these people, and the massive organization behind them, the right to be at odds with the entire world?
What gives them the audacity to challenge the authority of all regional alliances? What makes them able to make a comeback and escalate their actions even after repeated setbacks?
The answer may lie in this "secret".
"Oh?" Zhang Heng raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a deliberate, almost casual interest.
"Then tell me. What kind of secret is it that could make me—"
He paused, his gaze suddenly becoming sharp as a knife.
"Put aside the blood feud that nearly cost my father his life, put aside the wronged souls of those martyrs of the East China Garrison, put aside your repeated aggression against our country, and join you?"
These words were extremely heavy, each one like a nail hardened with ice, piercing deep into the seemingly peaceful atmosphere of the negotiation.
Hailan fell silent.
But the silence lasted only a second.
The next second, she felt as if she were possessed by something unseen.
It was an indescribable change—her body remained in its original posture, and her white cloak still swayed gently in the night breeze.
But in an instant, his demeanor underwent a bizarre transformation from aloofness to fervor, from composure to piety.
She slightly raised her head, slowly raising her hands with palms facing upwards, as if receiving some unseen grace.
Her voice became ethereal and otherworldly, yet carried a chilling certainty and madness:
"Because... the World Tree is about to wither."
The voice seemed not to come from her mouth, but rather from somewhere higher and farther away, through her as a medium.
The words "World Tree" struck him like a heavy hammer, hitting the most hidden part of his heart.
After the battle at the police station, in the consciousness space that Eternal forcibly pulled him into, there was an endless silence filled with pale blue light, and a giant tree that radiated crystal light and whose roots were as intertwined as an ancient dragon—the World Tree.
"That World Tree that supports all ecosystems and all life cycles in the world..."
Hailan's voice continued, growing more and more fervent and devout, her unseen eyes behind the mask seeming to burn with invisible flames.
"Its life is slipping away. Its roots are decaying. Its light is going out."
She suddenly spread her arms wide, her white cloak fluttering in the night wind like outstretched wings…
"And we—the Temple of Creation—have found the only way to save all of this!"
Her voice suddenly rose, carrying an almost manic sense of holiness.
"We will use the true power of the gods—not the power of those lowly legendary Pokémon tamed by humans, but the purest divine authority from the beginning of creation—to reshape a completely new world!"