From Secret Clan to the Divine Dynasty

The raging flames had completely disappeared, and the world of despair from just moments ago seemed as if it never existed; people felt as though they had just been on a crazy, dream-like journey.

In the tranquil night, stars twinkled, and the bright moonlight fell upon the earth, as if enveloping the whole world in a soft, silvery white.

Karl had realized that Irene's soul extended with a certain uniqueness, for that thread of black light was none other than a splinter of his own soul.

Originally, he had voluntarily split his soul and inserted it into Irene's, causing a fusion effect. As a result, the Fischer family members, because of Irene, had indirectly become his favored clan.

It was obvious that Irene's situation was completely different from everyone else's.

She could even be considered as half an embodiment of himself.

Karl discovered that Irene's soul had not lost its activity and fallen into a deep sleep but was in a state of half-sleep, almost drowsy, and she could even engage in simple communication with him.

"Irene?"

"You…"

He gazed at Irene's soul, studying such a delicate state, and suddenly a thought crossed his mind.

Perhaps, at the right moment, he could attempt to have Irene's soul reincarnated once more within the Fischer family.

Because Karl had long since discovered that many souls entering the bodies of pregnant women at the beginning of life were actually in a similar state to Irene's current one.

They were in a hazy state of half-sleep and would awaken as they were born into reality.

However, aside from reincarnation, there were other possibilities, and Karl needed to continue his research.

He spoke slowly:

"Wait a while, Irene…"

----

Gentle rain fell like soft silk onto the streets of Nasir Town, a breeze swept through the treetops, the wet road glistened, and the outlines of distant buildings faded in and out of the mist.

People spontaneously took to the streets to see off Madam Irene in the rain.

Almost everyone from Nasir Town came out of their homes voluntarily, each of them silently mourning, wearing flowers according to the traditions of the Cyart people, grieving for Madam Irene.

Many who had received her aid even rushed over from other towns, and from Fein City as well, hundreds arrived in Nasir Town in no time. People came from all walks of life, from far and wide, with different social statuses, but they all shared one purpose: to attend the funeral of Madam Irene Fischer.

They mourned the messenger sent by the gods.

Many were inconsolable, kneeling and weeping on the ground, grateful for Madam Irene's selfless assistance over the years.

The children from the orphanage cried the hardest; they would never forget the kindness and teachings of their matron.

Every day, she saved lives, and her healing powers had removed diseases and pain, giving hope and rebirth to many who would have otherwise perished.

Important members of the Fischer family had all arrived at the cemetery, and it would be Lilian presiding over this funeral.

At the same time, she officially became the new priest of the Dawn Church.

Finally, Irene was laid to rest.

Byrne stood calmly in front of Irene's grave, but deep inside, he didn't feel much sorrow. Instead, there was a sense of celebration for Irene.

For he knew that Irene had indeed died a deserving death; she had accomplished everything she wanted in life, and after passing away, her soul could return to the embrace of the Lord of the Lost.

That was the perfect ending Irene had envisaged deep in her heart.

If he were to feel sad, it would only be for the family's loss of her, yet if he looked at it from her perspective, he would rather be happy for her.

"Irene, rest well in the Lord's embrace; I must linger a while longer before I can join you."

Byrne paused, his eyes calm, a smile on his face as he continued, "Irene, send my regards to my father! The Fischer family of Nasir Town will keep moving forward!"

As time passed, the light rain grew into a downpour, the droplets becoming denser, drumming against the pavement and rooftops.

Eventually, the sky seemed to open its gates, as a torrential downpour descended, lightning cleaved the skyline, and thunder roared. The curtain of rain made everybody's vision on the road blurry and unclear.

Irene's funeral was almost as grand as the one for the "Thunderous Monarch," the Tempest Bishop, within the East Coast Province. At the Tempest Bishop's funeral, many had come, and many had come spontaneously because of his spiritual conduct.

Yet, Irene, through her decades of effort, nearly matched the scale of the Tempest Bishop "Thunderous Monarch's" funeral.

Regarding this incident, the Fischer family's official statement was unified, claiming the attacker of Nasir Town was a high-level Transmutation Extraordinary Exponent from the Meyer family, although his specific identity was still unknown.

He had temporarily elevated his power through some powerful Forbidden rare artifact, simulating an attack that seemed near the Monarch Level, which in reality wasn't as powerful.

Irene Fischer was sacrificed to protect everyone, and the powerful attacker also suddenly died due to the huge backlash from the Forbidden rare artifact.

Arthur Meyer, after suffering Divine retribution, didn't even leave behind a bit of his body, but important things from his person were left behind, including two top-level Treasure-class rare artifacts among five Mysterious rare artifacts.

Among the two top-tier Treasure-class artifacts, the first was a pitch-black ring "Rupture," capable of instantly destroying any weapon or armor its wearer touched, and it could even break through certain protective spells and low-level barriers.

Although its effect was strong, its effective range was extremely short, requiring close contact to utilize its full potential.

The second of the Treasure-class artifacts was a defensive one, astonishingly a miniature white glove "Pure White Glove." It could automatically extend and increase in size, then directly "catch" remote attacks aimed at the user and "reflect" them back on the same path.

It was quite effective against arrows, bullets, and substantial spells.

Of course, whether it was "Rupture" or "Pure White Glove," both Treasure-class Mysterious rare artifacts had limits to their efficacy. One was for attack, and the other for defense, which matched the most popular types of Mysterious rare artifacts.

Beyond the two top-level Treasure-class rare artifacts, Arthur Meyer left behind another important thing, a spell inscription that no one in the Fischer family had ever seen before.

Spell inscriptions refer to the spells that spellcasters inscribe in advance onto objects like stones, wooden boards, paper, etc., which can form magic power that temporarily sustains itself.

Formalized armies rely on special spell inscriptions for long-distance communication, and the soldiers and Extraordinary Exponents within those armies can also transfer their power to the Monarch powerful experts through spell inscriptions.

The spell inscription Arthur Meyer left behind was a special one carved onto a slab of stone, featuring a fiery-red cloud symbol that looked quite strange.

"This is the main spell inscription!"

Byrne was stunned when he found it, then his face lit up with delight.

The main spell inscription within special spell inscriptions was different from the others. They were important items created by Heavenly Enlightenment powerful experts and were incredibly valuable!

In theory, as long as they possessed the main spell inscription, the Fischer family could bring a powerful spellcaster to deduce the affiliated spell inscriptions, and then they could master that powerful ability, which is to let individual experts draw the spiritual power and life force of an entire army for their own sustenance!

It was well known that once battle intensity reached the Monarch Level, the greatest contribution of mortal armies and lower Extraordinary Exponents was to provide sustenance for the powerful Extraordinary Exponents.

"The existence of this item must be kept secret. Normally, apart from the Ten Great Families and the Church, it is rare for other forces to possess them,"

Byrne realized the importance of it immediately. It absolutely couldn't be discovered by others, although he wasn't sure which of the other families might secretly own one. The unspoken rule was that, apart from the large powers, the smaller forces couldn't use them openly.

The main spell inscription was simply too important, theoretically only taking a few high-level Transmutation Extraordinary Exponents, supplemented by the army's sustenance and barrier suppression, to contend with a Monarch powerful expert for a prolonged time.

Not long after Irene's funeral ended, the Fischer family was about to secretly hold a new ritual. They had to give thanks to the great Lord of the Lost for His protection.

But just at that moment, the arrival of one person disrupted the Fischer family's plans.

Byrne was about to head downstairs to check on Lilian's preparation for the new ritual when he saw a Daybreaker approach with a solemn and respectful expression:

"Patriarch, 'Stars Mortal' Ariel Romann from the Romann family has arrived. Moreover, she came only with a servant and a carriage and seems to not wish for us to tell anyone else of her arrival."

Ariel Romann?

He was taken aback for a moment, then quickly grasped the significance of the situation.

Typically, important individuals from the high-power, well-positioned great families would only call for people from the lesser families, not come themselves.

But whenever they arrived unexpectedly in private, it definitely involved a significant matter to discuss!

Byrne nodded slightly and, judging that there wouldn't be a delay in the scheduled ritual, spoke in a grave tone to the Daybreaker:

"Alright, tell Lilian to continue preparing for the ritual! I now have to entertain the distinguished guest from the Romann family, so I won't be able to help her!"