Wizard: Stronger through Marriage

Chapter 860: Chapter 385: Corridor of Faith_2

They carefully studied every rune and pattern on the altar, consulting ancient documents and materials preserved in the Holy City and Church Headquarters.

They also sought the knowledge of architecture and rituals from artisans and volunteers willing to help them.

After months of effort, they finally gained a deeper understanding of this altar and the First Pope’s divination plan.

They discovered that the ritual not only required the gathering of the Power of Faith from believers but also needed a special medium to transform this faith into Divine Power.

To find this medium, David and Lucia decided to delve once again into the Church Headquarters and Holy City for their search.

During their deep search, David and Lucia unexpectedly discovered an ancient stone door in a hidden basement.

The door was covered with runes similar to those on the altar, as if hiding secrets leading to an unknown world.

"Lucia, look at this door, it seems to be connected to the altar." David pointed at the stone door and said.

Lucia stepped forward, carefully scrutinizing the runes on the stone door. She closed her eyes, attempting to sense the meaning of these runes with her mind.

A moment later, she suddenly opened her eyes, a surprising glow flickering within them.

"David, this door might very well be the entrance to the actual location of the First Pope’s divine ritual!"

Upon hearing this, David felt a surge of excitement. They had finally found the key to unlocking the Church’s secrets.

The two of them worked together to push open the heavy stone door, revealing a dark and mysterious passage before them.

Once they entered the passage, they were transported to another realm.

A towering Holy Mountain stood before them, its summit shrouded in a faint Holy Light, appearing sacred and inviolable.

As David stepped forward, he found himself trapped in glowing sand; the crystalline particles covering the Holy Mountain’s surface flowed like living beings, emitting a faint and mysterious light.

He felt a jolt of shock, the kind that struck directly at the mind, making him realize that this was by no means a normal place.

Lucia suddenly grasped his arm, her pupils shimmering with excitement and awe, reflecting the giant whale of light swimming across the sky.

The massive figure glided slowly above the Holy Mountain, as if guarding some great secret.

"This is the Faith Corridor!" Lucia whispered, her voice filled with barely contained excitement.

Even as she spoke, beams of light radiant as the Milky Way burst forth from the mountain, flickering like candles in the dawn.

Three hundred meters in the air, these spiral light columns wove into a rotating scroll, with countless golden words appearing upon it, like ancient oracles.

David gazed at the scroll-shaped stream of information, sensing a strange and immense power surging toward them.

His words were caught in his throat, and all he could do was silently pray that he could comprehend it all.

As the golden words cascaded down, they paved a suspended staircase before them, extending step by step toward the mysterious unknown heights.

He took a deep breath; as he stepped onto the first stair, a wave of warmth and solemnity instantly enveloped him.

At that moment, the sound of a million prayers suddenly echoed in his ears, crashing like waves.

This sound mixed hope, despair, confusion, and faith, stirring his emotions uncontrollably.

Looking down, he saw the stone steps beneath his feet gradually transform into transparent glass, twinkling with a dreamlike luster underfoot.

"Can we really do this?"

Lucia gripped his hand tightly, trembling slightly, yet her gaze was firm. "This is everything we have been searching for."

"Yes, we must keep moving forward," David replied, glancing back at her.

He then cast his eyes forward; the newly emerging path, clear and brilliant like stars, filled them with hope.

On this path to the unknown realm, they bore not only a personal mission but also the responsibility to unveil the Church’s secrets.

As they continued the ascent, the voices ringing in their ears grew ever clearer, like a torrential flood.

Within those echoes, he heard the exalted and steadfast words of the First Pope: "Believers in me shall attain eternal life."

When David looked again at the illusion in the air, he saw the First Pope standing at the center of a tribe from a primitive era, surrounded by devout and fearless people.

His large hands, filled with wisdom and power, covered in wrinkles and inscriptions, gently rested on the forehead of a girl afflicted with a dark spot disease.

The girl looked up at him with a mixture of fear and expectation, while the peaceful expression on the Pope’s face seemed to convey an indisputable message: "As long as you believe in me, you can be redeemed!"

This scene jostled David’s heart profoundly, prompting him to contemplate the meaning behind it.

This was not just someone else’s story but a part of human history and an important message reflecting deeply on the relationship between faith and power.

"What was the First Pope’s ultimate aim? Was it for his own divination, or for those yearning for redemption?" David couldn’t fathom it, yet he had to confront these questions.

As they climbed further, they gradually entered a wider, heavier-breathing platform.

This was a vast altar, paved with large, transparent, crystal-like slabs, and above hung large crystals emitting gentle rhythmic noises.

They were singing and chanting ancient spells. These crystals had never been touched by anyone.

But now they seemed particularly excited by the proximity of the two, constantly shimmering in response, as if eagerly awaiting a call to awaken.

"These are... the souls on the altar."

Lucia murmured, "They wish to convey deeper, broader messages to us."

As they observed, the large crystals began to flow like meandering streams, the warm aura emanating from within surrounding the two of them.

"Do you feel it?" Lucia asked.

Her gaze was fixed on the luxurious transformations and water-wave-like informational forms. "What lies within is not just power but... a certain wisdom."

"Perhaps these are what the First Pope attempted to control and gather," David mused.

"This power might possibly connect to the entire world, holding immense significance for both believers and those in power."

As time passed, they explored this strange space continuously; each step felt like embarking on a new ritual.

"They are echoes of memories."

Lucia’s voice was gentle yet firm, finger alight with star glow, her gaze focusing intently through the flickering light, gradually honing in on the constantly changing steps.

She explained softly, "The Celestial Ladder is screening the sincerity of the pilgrims. Only the truest and most devout can cross these thorns and illusions."

David’s heart tightened; he realized that this process was not merely a physical ascent but a contest between the soul and faith, pain, and redemption.

Just as he tried to regain his senses, the second step suddenly turned into burning thorns, and a stinging pain spread instantly throughout his body.

He felt his spirit body being torn simultaneously by seven illusions, various scenes interweaving dreamlike in his mind.

He saw his mother taking her last breath on a cold, silent snowy night, that look of despair and helplessness deeply etched in his heart.

Then he saw Lucia besieged by the Judgement Court, her face pale yet resolute, twisted upon the pillar of shame.

Next, he watched himself severing the roots of the World Tree, that moment seemingly shaking the entire world, all things mournful.

"David! Focus!" Lucia suddenly shouted, guiding him out of those memories with her star-lit fingers.

He fought desperately, striving to concentrate on her.

As his consciousness gradually returned, he realized he could no longer be immersed in these illusions, or else be consumed by his past.

Finally, as they jointly crossed the seventh platform, a violent tremor swept through.

The Holy Mountain seemed to shake angrily at their footsteps, the entire space filled with unrest and turmoil.