Chapter 595

Chapter 430: Secret Message

Conquer Sea, the main island of the Summer Tree Archipelago.

During the night hours, the islanders of Summer Tree Island had already fallen asleep, and the entire island fell into a state of silence, with most lights extinguished except for a few important locations.

One of these important locations was the sacrificial square beneath the giant tree on Summer Tree Island. Although no one was present there, the burning lamps still illuminated the dim surroundings.

Standing before the statue of the Goddess of Abundance in the deserted sacrificial square, a white-robed figure stood, facing the statue with a peculiar posture, praying devoutly.

Vania, dressed in a white nun’s robe, closed her eyes slightly, assuming an elegant posture before the statue. As she breathed evenly, she began to move, rotating her body and extending her arms, dancing gracefully before the statue of the Goddess of Abundance amidst the tranquility.

In the silent night, the white-robed nun danced under the flickering light, her movements graceful and natural. Each movement and step was precise, as if she were both dancing and worshiping, worshipping the large wooden statue of the Goddess of Abundance. Her dance seemed to be specially dedicated to the deity.

Vania’s dance continued, perfectly harmonizing with the sacrificial square around her. If she changed her clothes at this moment, this place would instantly transform into a divine dance ceremony.

Standing at the edge of the sacrificial square, Priest Anman of Summer Tree Island stared wide-eyed at the scene before him, astonished. As an experienced priest who had worked on the square for decades, he had never seen such a dance before. Yet, he felt that this dance should have been performed here, dedicated to the goddess. This was something he had never seen before, another part of the goddess’s worship.

As Vania’s divine dance neared its end, subtle changes occurred within the ancient sacrificial square. Before the altars in the four corners of the square, which bore the image of a dancing maiden, faint glimmers appeared, like fireflies. In front of the dancing maiden altar, some of the tightly closed flower buds began to gently open, similar to those in front of the water altar.

“The Altar of Dance… It’s reacting… It’s really reacting! Unbelievable… Truly unbelievable…”

Standing at the edge of the square, Anman shook his head and muttered, “Since I became the High Priest of the Summer Tree Archipelago, I’ve never seen any other altars react like this besides the Water Altar.”

Although there were four altars in the square, the annual sacrifices on Summer Tree Island were exclusively for the Water Altar. The other three altars were merely decorative, used only for regular cleaning. Over a thousand years, neither the priests nor the common people had ever witnessed any changes in the other three altars beyond the Water Altar.

“That nun… She is truly a believer of the goddess, just like us… And she is a believer of the goddess even though she follows a different lineage. She is a successor of the goddess’s dance…”

“Are the successors of the goddess’s dance now trading their worship of the Holy Mother of Radiance for the right to survive under her radiance?”

Witnessing the distant nun whose dance was coming to an end, Anman sighed. After seeing her dance and the reaction of the altar, he no longer doubted that she was a believer of the same goddess as Summer Tree. The skillful dance she performed was far from random; it required long-term training since childhood. If she could resonate with the altar through dance, why should he continue to doubt?

After confirming that the nun was indeed a believer of the Goddess of Abundance, Anman’s initial wariness decreased significantly. He believed Vania’s words even more. After watching her dance come to a complete end, he straightened his robes and approached her with a serious expression.

“I apologize for my rudeness earlier. Sister, you are truly a devout believer of the goddess…”

Anman bowed slightly to Vania, who had just finished her dance, expressing his apology. Vania, who had just stopped dancing and was slightly out of breath, immediately turned to respond upon hearing Anman’s words.

“It’s nothing, High Priest. As the priest of Summer Tree, you must be cautious about all the island’s inhabitants.”

Vania helped Anman stand up after he bowed, and Anman looked at her again, continuing to speak.

“I never imagined there was such a way to feign faith, worshipping the Holy Mother of Radiance as a substitute for the true goddess, in order to survive… Our god needs to use another deity’s name. It’s truly saddening…”

Anman lamented, and Vania responded earnestly after hearing his words.

“Though it is sad… we have successfully preserved the goddess’s faith, ensuring it doesn’t completely d*e out, and preventing her followers from being destroyed. Given the current strength of the Radiance, this is indeed a practical way to survive. I believe this approach can also work for Summer Tree. Rather than clashing with the Church and risking the destruction of Summer Tree, this method can better preserve the goddess’s legacy and her believers.”

“You make a valid point, but it feels disrespectful to the goddess…”

Facing Vania, Anman said with a hint of worry in his voice. Vania quickly responded.

“The goddess teaches us to respect life. Even if we don’t know her current state, she surely wouldn’t want the lives on Summer Tree to suffer. For everyone’s sake, the goddess would likely be more forgiving. She wants us to live well, not d*e meaninglessly for her…”

With a sincere tone, Vania continued speaking to Anman. Her words finally moved him.

“Yes… You’re right. The goddess hopes for abundance and freedom for all life. She surely wouldn’t want Summer Tree to be destroyed by the Radiance’s flames… Compared to our seizing the Radiance and forcing a confrontation, your choice is indeed more feasible…”

Anman said to Vania, and hearing this, Vania felt a surge of hope. She knew this priest was finally convinced. Then, not only the pilgrims like herself, but perhaps all the people of Summer Tree might be saved. This was the best outcome she had hoped for, an outcome she had thought was impossible. But now, it seemed to be becoming reality.

“Miss Vania, I want Summer Tree to be like yours, using the Holy Mother of Radiance as the goddess’s faith to gain the chance to survive under her radiance. However, I still have some concerns. Can the Radiance truly be deceived? Can we truly hide the goddess’s faith?

“After all, there are many goddess-related rituals on Summer Tree, some of which directly involve the island’s populace. These rituals are essential to us. Can they truly be hidden?”