Care Guide to Raising a Max Level Leaf in Apocalypse - 66
The jealous eyes around fell on Ji Jiu, and the chubby senior disciple also looked over. He realized that if Ji Jiu was chosen as a senior disciple today, his status would become as high as his own. The hidden thieving hearts could only be stifled in the cradle, and he might even hold a grudge against himself. Thinking of this, he unwillingly spoke up, “High Priest, these intermediate disciples haven’t even passed the assessment period of a week…”
The rest of his words were interrupted by a raised hand. The white mask swayed slightly in the light, and the High Priest gently withdrew his hand, “Are you questioning me?”
Although it was the same electronic tone, the disciple instantly broke into a cold sweat, trembling and wanting to kneel down, looking very frightened, “No, I dare not.”
The senior disciples behind High Priest also cast their gazes at him, creating a silent intimidation. The disciple completely lost his air of superiority and knelt in front of the many intermediate disciples.
The High Priest withdrew his gaze and said loudly, “As long as you are a disciple, whether you are a junior or senior, you have the opportunity to receive the Lord’s favor.”
He looked back at Ji Jiu, the smile on his mask sharp, “You are right, we are all failures, only the Holy Lord is perfect.”
Ji Jiu thought back to the ugly big flesh ball with an expressionless face. Perfect? Is this person’s mind broken?
The High Priest smiled without speaking, turned around, gestured for the two of them to follow, and left. Xiao Shu looked at Ji Jiu and the disguised Si Yin Yuan below the stage, not knowing whether to leave or stay for a moment.
Ji Jiu didn’t think too much, and calmly followed without looking back. Xiao Shu gritted his teeth and also followed. He was too eager to know about his sister, even though his inner instinct and survival instinct were screaming to stay away from the High Priest, he couldn’t resist the temptation to know the truth.
As they went deeper, they arrived at a huge and empty room, with the meatball sculpture in the center. The High Priest said in a deep voice, “Next is the ceremony, everyone else unrelated should leave.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the senior disciples who followed him all left the room, leaving only one person standing faithfully by the High Priest’s side. The white hood covered most of his face, and sensing Ji Jiu’s gaze, he didn’t move his eyes away from the High Priest.
The High Priest of Church always had someone by his side when he went out, and his most trusted confidant was this deputy disciple who had always been with him. The two were almost inseparable, and the loyal dog that Hu Yan had mentioned earlier was him.
Ji Jiu could sense that he was also an awakened person, but he didn’t know what his ability was. The High Priest obviously trusted him extremely, entrusting his back to him. He walked slowly to the side of Xiao Shu and Ji Jiu, and reached out his hand towards the person closer to him.
Ji Jiu couldn’t avoid it, and the High Priest lightly touched the curled eyelashes with his knuckles. A tiny, almost imperceptible glint of gold from the collar of Ji Jiu’s clothes was now paying attention to this place through the light.
Ji Jiu subtly sensed the anger from the owner through this glint of light. The tiny gold point trembled with anger, wanting to rush out and kill this self-righteous High Priest, but Ji Jiu suppressed it without a trace.
The High Priest withdrew his hand, confirmed something, and his voice carried a hint of a smile, “You two are not really believers, are you?”
The sudden words stunned Xiao Shu, who took a big step back, and his already poor acting couldn’t be maintained. Even Ji Jiu hadn’t expected him to be so sensitive.
No wonder he had been chosen from among so many people with Xiao Shu, it turned out that the High Priest had seen through that they were not sincere believers. This trip was very worthwhile. If the High Priest dared to do anything to them, it could be used as evidence.
Ji Jiu secretly turned on the recording device. This was a new invention given by Hu Yan, a small square decoration on the clothes, similar to a cube. It was the only recording device after the apocalypse that could shield magnetic interference, extremely precious.
The High Priest took a few steps forward, hands behind his back, “Let me guess your purpose. The theft in the reception room yesterday should also be your doing. I couldn’t find any intruders after searching, so I focused on the internal staff.”
He circled around the two, “I think you came because of the rumors outside. I have never seen you in any other faction, so you came here just to verify something.”
Xiao Shu’s heart was pierced, and his fingernails dug deep into his flesh. This reaction confirmed the High Priest’s guess, and he let out a low laugh, his gaze on Xiao Shu both pitiful and cruel.
Ji Jiu followed his movement, not missing any angle. He didn’t panic like Xiao Shu, his delicate face calm, “So what do you want to do to us? Kill us? Imprison us?”
With each word, Xiao Shu’s body trembled, and he slowly reached for the knife at his waist. The High Priest feigned surprise, “Why would I treat my compatriots like that? Didn’t I say from the beginning that you are all born equal?”
“Failures?” he suddenly sneered, “That doesn’t matter. You are all equal, and all equals are my disciples!”
His voice suddenly rose, and at the last word, the sound of blades clashing rang out, sparking a fire. Xiao Shu’s attempt to stab was blocked, and he looked up in disbelief, “How is this possible…”
The deputy disciple coldly raised his eyes, and the white hood slipped off to reveal a face that looked only seventeen or eighteen years old. At this moment, hatred overwhelmed reason in Xiao Shu’s mind, and he angrily shouted, “Damn it!” The knife was raised again, stabbing towards the heart of the person in front of him, but the sound that came was not the blade piercing flesh, but the crisp sound of blades clashing.
The High Priest covered his forehead with his hand and laughed, “His ability is ‘shield,’ my strongest protection. You cannot hurt me by getting past him.”
The deputy disciple kicked Xiao Shu five meters away in an instant, looking at him coughing up blood on the ground, showing no emotion on his young face, except for a slight fluctuation when looking at the High Priest.
Ji Jiu finally showed a frightened reaction, looking timidly at the injured Xiao Shu on the ground, “What do you want to do?”
This kind of gaze also pleased the High Priest. He revealed the hand that had been behind his back, showing a white light ring in his palm. The High Priest said, “Rest assured, I treat everyone equally. As long as you become my disciple, I will not hold anything against you.”
So this was what the so-called equality meant.
Ji Jiu asked, “Why do you say we are your disciples? Aren’t we the disciples of the Holy Lord?”
The High Priest’s gaze through the mask became mocking, “It seems our little friend still hasn’t understood the situation. What you need to believe in is me.”
Xiao Shu exclaimed angrily, “Bah!” The defiant feeling made the leader’s voice deepen. Ji Jiu raised an eyebrow, mocking, “You? You’re just a leader of the Church. If the church loses you, there can be other leaders.” He despised being considered a subordinate to the leader, believing he was the core of the church he founded.
Unknown to all, the High Priest secretly harbored resentment towards the non-existent Holy Lord. The more people praised it, the more imbalance he felt. As Ji Jiu and Xiao Shu lost resistance, the pressure they couldn’t speak of for three years erupted.
The High Priest vehemently denied the existence of the Holy Lord, declaring himself the deity to be worshiped. His energy circle expanded, unseen by others, while Ji Jiu subtly manipulated a small cube on his clothes.
Witnessing the Church’s leader denying the Holy Lord’s existence could potentially topple the church. The energy circle, evidently the leader’s ability, split into two and rushed towards Ji Jiu and Xiao Shu.
Xiao Shu tried to dodge in fear, exclaiming, “What is this thing?” The energy circle turned, locking firmly around his neck, causing him to panic.
Ji Jiu feigned helplessness, and a golden light in his collar struggled against a dark coal ball.
The energy circle left a white runic mark on the neck, and as it faded, Ji Jiu’s gaze became vacant. The High Priest, satisfied, used his power of persuasion: “Forget today; just remember you worship me now.”
This was his true ability, “Faith.” Normally integrated into his voice, it spread seeds of faith through Holy Lord, gathering followers and eliminating other religions in the base.
The energy circle was the ultimate form of “Faith,” usable on a maximum of three people. The High Priest’s ambition was to accumulate more faith to enhance his power.
Xiao Shu, who was obsessed with his missing sister, yielded to him. The High Priest was about to speak triumphantly when the door violently burst open.
Si Yin Yuan, with a fierce look in his eyes, rushed in, followed by a group of people in a noisy and disorderly manner, dressed in various clothes that clearly didn’t belong to the church’s followers.
Several senior followers guarding outside the door were knocked unconscious. One of them, before losing consciousness, tried his best to speak, “High Priest, we apologize… we really couldn’t stop them.”
The deputy follower quickly stepped forward to block the High Priest, his expression resembling a trapped beast.
The Hugh Priest gently patted his arm, signaling him not to be nervous, and then calmly asked, “What do you want?”
Si Yin Yuan’s gaze fell on the numb Ji Jiu, the anger within him almost losing control, thoughts of tearing the High Priest apart rampant in his mind.
He restrained his tense jaw, his voice hoarse, “What have you done to them?”
He had gathered so many people at the fastest speed, and yet he might be too late?
Thinking that Ji Jiu might have already suffered brainwashing, Si Yin Yuan’s heart felt a severe pain.
He shouldn’t have let the youth go alone.
It doesn’t matter; as long as he kills the High Priest, the ability will be disabled.
Si Yin Yuan, like an enraged beast, approached step by step, “What have you done to them with your ability? As one of the leaders of the base, you must give an account to the base!”
The High Priest, pressured by his fierce aura, retreated half a step, also blocking Ji Jiu, who was originally facing everyone, from view.
The next second, in a hidden angle from the others, Ji Jiu quickly winked his right eye.
Wink—