Chapter 308: Return

"Familiar feeling."

In a space channel where countless energies intersected, a man walked slowly.

"Compared to the first time I entered, the pain has lessened significantly, causing me no harm."

York, carrying a large satchel on his back, stretched out his right hand.

The all-around physique brought fundamental changes: endurance, strength, speed, and physical defense.

These, combined with the bodily evolution and regeneration associated with life points, fit perfectly together—a case of 1+1 equaling 2.

He dispersed the protective aura of holy power, allowing the void's energy to sweep over him.

Under York's watchful eye, his skin showed signs of peeling but instantly recovered.

This indicated that he could traverse the void relying solely on his physical body, without any supernatural protection.

"Not bad."

York clenched his fist; after breaking through two hundred in all-around physique, he distinctly felt his muscle fibers and some physiological mechanisms had changed.

He could see the dense muscle fibers from the skin peeling, clearly beyond what a normal human could possess.

It's well-known that more muscle fibers and a higher density of them can generate greater strength than average.

"I'll test back home how many tons my strength really is."

Yes, measured in tons, York now felt that he could demolish a building with just his physical strength alone—a thought he had never had before.

This feeling was a result of significant improvements in strength, endurance, defense, and speed.

Watching the back of his hand that had just peeled and instantly recovered, York blinked, shielded it with holy power, and continued walking alone through the vast space channel.

Like a true lone ranger, surrounded by emptiness, with energies capable of stripping flesh from bone swirling around him.

Due to spatial distortions or warping in the channel, and possibly a different flow of time from the outside world, one could lose the concept of time, direction, and perception, making it challenging to determine the path forward or back.

York kept walking silently; he was confident he was heading in the right direction.

It was merely a matter of how much time it would take.

He walked through phases that were sometimes utterly silent and sometimes buzzing.

He also passed through phases where he felt light as if floating in nothingness.

But this wasn't the hardest part.

The path through the channel was irregular, sometimes twisting and turning, sometimes extending straight, creating an illusion like walking through a time-space maze.

York mused, "No wonder in the absence of supernatural powers, no one dares enter the rift, leaving me the only one who can enter.

The only thing I don't know is the ratio of time flow. It's not one day up there to one year down here, is it?

If that's the case, it's bad news because according to my mental count, I've been away for four months…"

For the first time, feeling a sort of loneliness, York thought messily of the little nun and Xili.

He missed the food made by the little nun, wondering if she had specifically researched it, as it always seemed to suit his taste.

At the same time, without Xili's lively presence to liven up the atmosphere, it indeed felt lonely.

York smiled, adjusting the satchel containing gifts for Xili.

This guy's talent was exceptional, and York believed that equipment from the other world could bring him new insights and inspirations.

Unfortunately, resources from the other world didn't include what he wanted.

Despite marshaling the resources of five nations, Marcos and others had not found the legendary life-extending medicine.

"Just keep looking."

York's expression remained calm as he continued forward.

The journey was long and monotonous.

Despite his chaotic thoughts, York eventually came back to some pressing issues.

Since having cheats and data-based abilities, he had always been unsure of his exact strength level.

After fighting with Dominic, the Seraph, he finally had a benchmark.

"According to records and legends, angels are divided into nine ranks, with lower, middle, and upper categories—lower having two wings, middle four, and upper six. Seraphs are second in the middle category, at the four-wing angel level."

The surroundings were silent.

York murmured to himself.

"I could sense that Dominic's full strength was around a hundred thousand points of holy power."

"If a mid-upper level Seraph, a four-wing angel, equals a hundred thousand points..."

"Then, minus external factors and with the doubling of my magical power, my usable holy power is also close to sixty thousand points, does that mean I'm half as strong as a four-wing angel?"

Walking through a particularly unique part of the channel, York's footsteps halted, and he pondered this question.

He felt his strength was not just this.

Because now, if he were to fight Dominic again without external aids, he was still confident of winning.

"Because I have more than just holy power," York smiled lightly.

With increasing strength came growing confidence.

"It just goes to show, no matter where you are, strength is always the foundation of confidence."

York felt a pang of realization; this truth was consistently proven.

Noticing the energy around the channel stabilizing, York ceased his introspection and looked forward, seeing a speck of red light at the end of his vision.

"Looks like I'm almost there!"

This thought crossed York's mind.

But what York didn't know was that his walk through this perilous channel had triggered a series of reactions.

At the end of the channel.

Vast and immense, like a red dragon sparkling with red light, the rift was vivid red, radiating strong energy fluctuations, like a fiercely burning flame.

At this moment, the energy fluctuations became even more intense.

The red light illuminated the entire hall.

The whole space turned red.

The energy surge caused a nearby monitoring device to buzz.

The numbers on the screen skyrocketed by the second.

"Not good!"

Clergy who had been guarding there watched the seemingly about to burst instrument and the suddenly erupting rift, their expressions drastically changing.

"Brother Xili's monitoring device is acting up."

After Archbishop York entered the rift, it had remained very calm.

Even beginning to close, like a mouth sealing into a red line.

Today, what had been just a red line suddenly burst open, releasing a massive wave of energy.

This made the clergy guarding there think of something.

"Could it be that Archbishop York is coming back?"

Someone voiced out.

"Brother Xili said that any change in the instrument indicates something happening inside the rift."

Then another person, staring at the spiking numbers on the equipment, urgently said:

"Let's go! We can't stay here long, Brother Xili said that if his device reaches its limit, it means this place will blow!"

"Let's go! We can't stay here."

As these words were spoken.

The clergy tensed up and quickly left the hall now bathed in red light.

Thus, a group of clergy watched the hall, which looked as though it was being roasted, gathering outside in the open space.

Someone commanded, and Brother Jesus, who was in charge here, said gravely.

"Go, tell Sister Eileen and Brother Xili, tell them about the changes in the hall."

"Yes!" Someone responded and left.

"Also, disperse the believers and tourists here," Brother Jesus continued gravely.

"Yes!" Another person responded and left.

And so, command after command came from Brother Jesus's mouth.

Each command was conscientiously received by someone who hurriedly left.

For a moment, the number of clergy outside the hall dwindled.

Only Brother Jesus and thirteen other clergy members stared at this place.

By then, the already red-illuminated hall became even redder.

The energy fluctuations contained within alarmed Brother Jesus and the other clergy.

In their perception, the hall in front of them was like a volcano ready to erupt, possibly exploding at any moment, killing many.

This premonition lingered in the hearts of Brother Jesus and others; they breathed heavily but did not retreat.

Because their duty was to guard this rift.

A monk hurried along the right walkway: "Brother Jesus! Sister Eileen and Brother Xili are not in the cathedral!

They left a message, a familiar priest asked for help, they went to assist."

Hearing this, Brother Jesus's face twitched, he stared at the hall that seemed on the verge of exploding, his expression somewhat helpless:

"How can it be such a coincidence! Normally, this inactive rift just happens to act up now."

"Could it be Archbishop York is coming back?"

Beside him, Brother Andrade spoke. He was the monk who had previously defeated a superpowered individual named Frank without him being able to fight back.

"Just like Archbishop York said, according to the records, the rift will always end with an explosion, remember the Archbishop also said if the rift changes, we'd better evacuate."

"It seems like it." Brother Jesus stared at the hall, took a deep breath, and recalled Archbishop York, making a decision on the spot.

"Then we better move further away, otherwise if it really is the Archbishop coming back, and we get blasted, it would be a loss."

The clergy prepared to retreat again.

But what they didn't know.

The space within the hall's rift grew more distorted, like a red vortex at its core writhing. A deep rumbling sound emanated from within the rift, like a giant beast growling.

The center, like a giant red heart, pulsed continuously, emitting terrifying fluctuations.

The air began to warp, forming twisted ripples like the waves of time, the hall's walls started to tremble slightly.

The already brightly red-illuminated hall suddenly flared even brighter, the energy that had been suppressed by the runes left by York suddenly erupted.

As Brother Jesus and the other clergy's pupils dilated.

Under their watch.

Endless red light burst forth from the hall, dist

orting everything within it.

Like a bottomless pit, it devoured everything around, the columns inside instantly shattered, raising a sky-high cloud of dust.

A massive explosion deafeningly resounded, a red shockwave spread from the exploded hall, as if the entire space collapsed at that moment, a chaotic darkness swallowing everything.

"Not good! Resist together!"

As the energy exploded and spread across the area, Brother Jesus and the other clergy could only muster all their holy power, collectively forming a white holy protective shield.

But this newly formed protective shield, when the exploding red energy hit, seemed to solidify for a few seconds before shattering upon contact.

It couldn't hold for long.

Brother Jesus and the other clergy could only watch helplessly as the energy that broke their protective circle rushed to their faces, to their bodies.

"Guard justice, defend the truth, and protect..."

Brother Jesus instinctively remembered his oath, he clenched the handle of his knight's sword, closed his eyes, and already felt his skin burning.

However, at this critical moment.

A calm voice sounded.

"Stop!"

The voice echoed through the space, like a mysterious melody crossing time, the entire space suddenly fell into a strange stillness.

"What?"

Hearing his colleague's voice, Brother Jesus couldn't help but open his confused eyes and look forward.

He was also somewhat dazed.

He didn't know when, but a man had appeared in the center of the exploded hall.

Dressed in a simple and elegant bishop's robe, carrying a large satchel.

His presence radiated an inviolable sanctity.

His gaze revealed a decisiveness that transcended time.

Around him, shattered stones hung in mid-air, dust suspended in the air, time seemed frozen, and the unstoppable red energy paused in space for a moment, creating a beautiful and unbelievable scene.

All these elements combined, like a huge canvas floating in front of him.

If not Archbishop York, then who else could it be.

"Archbishop York is back…" Brother Jesus stared at the Archbishop, murmuring to himself, not knowing why the presence of the Archbishop always seemed to have the power to settle people's nerves.

"What's going on?"

The Archbishop's surprised words rang in their ears, the stagnant world seemed to start moving again, everything resumed motion.

Shattered stones fell, dust drifted away, but that moment's scene left a permanent imprint in the hearts of Brother Jesus and the other clergy.

"Huh?"

Not hearing a response, York looked at the stunned clergy in front of him, puzzled, assuming they were just scared.

But he waved his hand, sweeping away the remaining spatial energy in the void to prevent further damage.

This kind of explosive red spatial energy, which he often encountered in the channel, was familiar to him.

After taking care of this, York looked down at the now-ruined site, relieved.

"Good thing I came out in time, otherwise…"

Thinking this, York then continued to cast his gaze on the clergy in front of him.

He didn't see the little nun or Xili, who should have been here given the commotion.

Looking back at the now-disappeared rift, York began walking towards the still dazed clergy.

"My accompanying nun Sister Eileen and Brother Xili aren't here?"

York walked over the ruins, speaking again.

This statement snapped Brother Jesus and the other clergy out of their daze.

"Back to the Archbishop, Sister Eileen and Brother Xili had to leave on an errand, according to the message they left, a priest asked for help, and they went to assist."

Watching the Archbishop walk through the ruins, Brother Jesus quickly approached the Archbishop, blurting out this information in one breath.

York's eyebrows slightly raised as he stared at the clergyman who spoke first, recognizing who it was, and smiled warmly.

"Brother Jesus, could you first tell me how much time has passed since I entered the rift?"

Given the situation with the little nun and Xili, he was curious about the issue of time dilation.

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