Chapter 451 The Crown
“Emmanuel’s Crown…”
On a small boat in a certain part of Adria’s river, Dorothy couldn’t help but mutter after hearing the boatman’s words. Her gaze fixed on the dazzling reflection atop the grand cathedral’s roof in the distance.
Dorothy had heard of the name Emmanuel. During her time at Crown University, she spent most of her days reading in the library. The extensive secular books at Crown University greatly expanded her understanding of the world. She had read about the mundane history of Iwig there.
Emmanuel was an ancient king of Iwig and the founder of the current ruling dynasty, known as the “Light-bearing King” Emmanuel.
In secular history, hundreds of years ago, Leo, the last monarch of the Whirlpool Dynasty in Iwig, who was called the “Proud King,” once openly invaded the northern nations that defended the church, sparking the Turbid Current War. Ultimately, the united forces of the defending nations invaded his territory, leading to the Proud King’s defeat and d*ath.
Emmanuel, originally a distant relative of the Whirlpool Dynasty, rebelled against the Proud King during the Turbid Current War. Together with the allied forces of the defending nations, he overthrew the Proud King’s rule. Due to his contributions in the war, under the decree of the Holy Summit, Emmanuel inherited the crown of Iwig after the war, founding the enduring Azure Dynasty. The title “Light-bearing King” actually means “bearing the light of the Lord.”
Of course, Dorothy, who had read the Secret Transmission, knew clearly that there were hidden secrets beneath this mundane history. The Whirlpool Dynasty, ruled by the Proud King, was actually highly corrupted by the Abyss Cult at the time. The power of the Abyss Cult in Iwig rapidly expanded, even publicly worshipping the Abyss Serpent. This war was directly led by the church as a holy war, where the church itself led the holy armies of the defending nations to traverse Iwig, purifying the region of its heretics.
“So it’s something from King Emmanuel. I almost forgot; this place used to be King Emmanuel’s territory.”
After quickly reviewing the information about Emmanuel and Iwig in her mind, Dorothy thought to herself. Then, she controlled the Parent Zombie Puppet next to her to speak to the boatman. Seeing that the passenger knew a bit about history, the boatman began to speak enthusiastically.
“Oh, the guest still knows that this place used to be King Emmanuel’s territory? These days, not many people know any history… Although our royal family now lives in Peizi, they all came from here. That crown on top of the church is the best proof.”
While rowing the boat, the boatman pointed toward the reflection atop the church and continued speaking.
“The Crown of Light… This was the symbol given by the Holy Summit to recognize Emmanuel as the true hero of Iwig when he officially declared rebellion against the Proud King in Adria. After Emperor Emmanuel thoroughly defeated the Proud King, he needed to formally go to Peizi to wear the crown of Iwig.
“Before leaving, the people of Adria were reluctant to see their wise leader leave, so Emmanuel left the Crown of Light here to commemorate his time as the lord of this place. Since then, the crown has been preserved in the Pure Flow Church, continuing until today. It is also considered one of the treasures of Adria.”
With a tone of pride, the boatman explained to the Parent Zombie Puppet. After listening to the boatman, Dorothy nodded in understanding, realizing why the crown emitted the glow of the “Lamp.”
…
Afterwards, Dorothy and the Parent Zombie Puppet continued their journey along the waterway. Soon, they arrived at a wide canal near the Pure Flow Church. Dorothy paid the boatman and stepped off the boat.
She didn’t immediately visit the Pure Flow Church but instead went with the Parent Zombie Puppet to find a nearby hotel. After checking in, she went to her room, put away her luggage, and stored the Parent Zombie Puppet before walking out alone.
With light steps, Dorothy quickly walked along the embankment by the waterway. After crossing an arch bridge, she left the densely populated residential area with buildings and waterways and arrived at a spacious square.
The entire square was paved with large white stones. At the center stood a towering obelisk. Not far behind the obelisk was the tall Pure Flow Church. The square was filled with ordinary citizens taking walks and tourists sightseeing. The entrance of the Pure Flow Church was wide open, with a constant flow of people entering and exiting.
After glancing around the edge of the square, Dorothy continued to walk into the square. During this process, she continuously opened her Spiritual Vision and monitored the consumption of the “Shadow” within the Veil Ring.
As she approached the Pure Flow Church, Dorothy noticed that the “Lamp” light emanating from Emmanuel’s Crown atop the church became increasingly evident. The spiritual energy consumption of the Veil Ring also slowly increased. After approaching the church for some distance, Dorothy roughly estimated the detection efficiency of the Emmanuel’s Crown based on the rate of “Shadow” energy consumption.
Overall, as a Radiance Lamp, the detection efficiency of Emmanuel’s Crown was very high. Dorothy estimated that within twenty meters of the Pure Flow Church, the detection efficiency of Emmanuel’s Crown would be comparable to that of a regular Radiance Lamp. As one got closer, the detection efficiency would continue to rise, eventually reaching three to four times that of a normal Radiance Lamp.
‘This Emmanuel’s Crown has an extraordinary detection efficiency that’s quite frightening. Maintaining such a high detection efficiency constantly must consume a lot of “Lamp” energy. Or perhaps, this Emmanuel’s Crown utilizes “Lamp” spiritual energy more efficiently?’
Looking at the reflection on the church roof shimmering in the sunlight, Dorothy thought to herself. With such powerful detection capabilities, this Emmanuel’s Crown could not only detect traces of Extraordinary Beings but might even directly detect the contained spirituality within them, even if the Extraordinary Being did not use any abilities or show any signs of being extraordinary.
After calculating the detection efficiency of Emmanuel’s Crown, Dorothy continued toward the Pure Flow Church. She chose the most suitable angle to approach, where the light from Emmanuel’s Crown would be blocked by the spire of the church, allowing her to save some “Shadow” energy.
Not long after, Dorothy arrived at the side of the Pure Flow Church. Here, due to the blind spot, the detection from Emmanuel’s Crown on the roof did not reach her, so she could conserve some “Shadow.” Then, she reached the entrance of the church and entered like other tourists.
Entering the Pure Flow Church, Dorothy did not see a large chapel like other churches but instead found a large counter. Here, she needed to buy tickets from a ticket seller before continuing to explore.
Indeed, the Pure Flow Church no longer served its original religious function but had been converted into a museum several hundred years ago. When Dorothy first heard Beverly mention the Pure Flow Church Museum, she was puzzled. Why would a place serve both as a church and a museum? Only after chatting with the boatman guide did she understand.
Originally, the Pure Flow Church was the main cathedral for the people of Adria to worship. However, after Emmanuel left his crown here to comfort the people’s longing, it was kept in the Pure Flow Church.
Over time, the number of visitors coming to see the crown increased, gradually affecting the church’s religious activities. Therefore, the Adria government and the church decided to build a new church elsewhere for the regular religious activities of the people of Adria. The Pure Flow Church was then dedicated to storing Emmanuel’s Crown for public viewing. Over time, more and more collectors donated their collections to the Pure Flow Church to display alongside Emmanuel’s Crown. Eventually, the Pure Flow Church transformed into a specialized museum, becoming one of the most famous tourist attractions in Adria.
