Chapter 423 — The White Knight and the New Faith
Blade of Dawn · Page 2 of 4
A pioneer who had broken through the gods' bonds and mastered the Holy Light through his own will and faith—Wright's power of the Holy Light was not merely a personal ability; to Gaoyang's mind it was a breakthrough point for a new era. These past days he had been pondering how to deal with the corrupt, benighted, and inherently flawed traditional Netherglow Sect (and other sects that might likewise tread the road to ruin). He could not simply outlaw these sects, nor could he allow them to become shackles upon the territory—and Wright's emergence seemed to offer a solution...
But to solve the problem of the church, a single pioneer like Wright would not suffice. If the new way of the Holy Light could not be spread and replicated, it would have no advantage whatsoever against the traditional church.
He voiced his doubt, and Amber at his side was the first to furrow her brow. "That's probably pretty hard... The old man just said it himself—Wright may be the first in all human history to break through the 'limit' by his own will. That means breaking through must be truly hard. Where are you going to find so many people with both the talent and the ability, and a will to match besides..."
"Perhaps it is not so hard as you imagine," Pi Yun cut in. "First, since Wright has succeeded, that shows the lock's power is not absolute, and ordinary people might also be able to replicate the process—even if the odds are very low. Second, the hardest breakthrough is only ever the first. If people see with their own eyes Wright wielding the Holy Light's power by his own strength, then I believe many of the Holy Light's faithful will be shaken, and the difficulty of their breaking through this subconscious lock will be greatly reduced. And I believe one thing more: all things in creation must follow some order. Since Wright could succeed, that shows there is a logic and order behind the matter. As long as we keep studying, we are bound to discover something."
Gaoyang deeply agreed with Pi Yun's words, and what gratified him more was that Pi Yun had already developed such a profound and correct researcher's mindset—beneath that slovenly, feckless exterior was hidden a scientific spirit rare and precious in this age. Gaoyang did not know whether Pi Yun's thinking had always been there or had been gradually cultivated while he led the research work in the territory, but of one thing he was certain: so long as education and research in the territory continued to develop, and researchers like Pi Yun continued to lead their apprentices forward, the number of people with a similar researcher's mindset would surely only grow.
Wright was no researcher, but that did not stop him from understanding Pi Yun's words—or Gaoyang's thinking. He knew what his regaining of the Holy Light meant for the other faithful who still believed in the God of Holy Light, and he knew still better that the corrupt, benighted Netherglow Sect urgently needed reform. So he was glad to do his part. "These past days I have been using meditation to sense how the Holy Light flows, and I have consulted Master Kamal on many matters of magic. I believe the Holy Light's operation does indeed follow a certain order—but it differs from ordinary spells in one respect: it seems to be strongly influenced by the caster's... faith. I cannot put words to the subtle connection, but I can feel it—whenever the Holy Light surges, it interacts and resonates with the Holy Light's righteousness that I hold firm in my heart."