Chapter 318: Beyond Time, the Tree of Creation

In the province of Sanos, beneath the verdant divine tree that blocked the sun and the blood-red horizon, lay the eastern primeval forest.

Within the sacred golden barrier, three divine artifacts intertwined and spun, emitting an unprecedented brilliance.

This light didn’t form any magical patterns, formations, or designs but transformed into real 【light】, spreading into the sky, the earth, and the endless distance, radiating throughout the entire world.

With a thought, all things are born, all things perish.

When she opened her eyes again, the scene around her had changed completely.

“Where is this…?”

Philomina looked around in confusion, only to find herself surrounded by a bright void, as if she were submerged in an ocean of light or soaring above the skies, with the figures of demons and angels who had been fiercely battling just moments ago now vanished without a trace.

All that remained was the existence known as the 【Three Saintesses】.

“Is this… the change that will appear after gathering the power of the three artifacts and launching the 【Saint’s Awakening Ceremony】?”

Fleidetrika’s expression was equally curious and serious, tinged with caution as she subconsciously sought the hilt of her sword at her waist, only to find it completely empty.

The three artifacts used to perform the ceremony — 【Crown of the Uncrowned】, 【Judging Sword】, and 【Ring of Salvation】 — had all disappeared from sight.

Only Yuna, seemingly having anticipated this moment, wore a knowing and relaxed smile as if a weight had been lifted.

“At last… I have returned to this place, the existence that is both present and absent, the holy realm beyond causality, the birthplace of the origin artifacts… the 【River of Time】.”

“River… of Time?”

A voice of confusion came from beside her, but the Saint of Bright Light simply nodded, refraining from offering further explanation.

“Come with me; He has been waiting for our visit. You are all descendants who have received His grace, and here, you should be able to hear His 【voice】.”

The three women walked slowly across the seemingly void surface of the River of Light, the radiant reflections beneath their feet creating ripples as countless indistinguishable silhouettes swept by them like meteors.

It felt as if they rode a fast-flying sky horse, walking among beings that had long transcended the mundane world.

After a moment, Philomina could no longer hold back her curiosity.

“Um… Yuna, what exactly is the 【River of Time】? If we waste time here, what about the battlefield outside…?”

But before Yuna could answer from the front, the Judging Saintess Fleidetrika interjected solemnly.

“There’s no need to worry too much, Princess Philomina. If this truly is the 【River of Time】, then if I’m not mistaken, we are currently in a state of complete stasis relative to the real world.”

“In other words, you could understand that the time outside has likely been paused. We were like this when we entered, and when we exit, we will probably be the same… though we may also appear vastly different. Here, we have stepped out of time.”

“Do you remember… the ancient descriptions passed down through generations of the divine offspring upon receiving artifacts and blessings?”

“This… could it be…?”

Philomina’s doubt did not reach an end, and before even the silently advancing Yuna could respond, the figures of the three Saintesses suddenly stiffened in unison.

An unprecedented holiness, like witnessing the truth of the world, filled every corner of their souls in that instant.

They beheld a tree.

A tree, a lush tree, an ancient tree, a tree blooming with magic and hope.

That was a tree that both existed and did not exist.

That was the tree made of light.

Its form stood at the distant end of time and space, more magnificent than the world yet seemingly within reach. Its trunk and branches swayed, shimmering with the light of a star river, the countless stars in the sky merely the brilliance it shed.

The girl known as 【Bright Light】 bowed deeply, trembling with a mix of fear, sorrow, and pure joy, her prayer echoed fervently as utmost devotion flowed from her lips.

“…Great and exalted Origin Light, I praise Your name.”

“You are the embodiment of dawn and hope…”

“You are the very first glimmer of light in the world, the master of all beauty and brilliance…”

“A child burdened with sin presents this sincere prayer to You…”

“Please once more, bestow upon this body the holy light, dispel darkness, and clear my heart…”

“At last, I see You again… the embodiment of Origin Light, the ultimate creator of all things, my mother… the Greatest Holy – 【Tree of Creation】…”

“Please forgive us, unravel our errors, and once again grant light to the world…”

The spirit of the artifact transformed into a girl who nearly pressed her body against the shimmering surface of the River of Light, crying and wailing in a poignant display of fragility that had never been seen before. Yet Yuna seemed unconcerned; her eyes focused solely on that supreme 【tree】.

At some point, Philomina and Fleidetrika had also respectfully knelt, their faces filled with devotion.

No need for doubt, no need for explanation; merely a glance at one another revealed everything within the inherited blood that coursed through them.

“Supreme Origin Light, please unravel our errors and grant light to the world once more!”

“Sha… shasha…”

The glowing outline of the 【Tree of Creation】 swayed beyond time and space, sending forth ripples that could not be described as【sound】, a sentiment that transcended understanding, spreading across the 【River of Time】.

Three bursts of light descended from the top of the light-filled tree, floating before the three Saintesses.

It was a crown, a long sword, and a ring.

Infinite light cascaded from the 【Tree of Creation】, merging into the three artifacts, making their radiance even more dazzling, their essence surging forth like a geyser.

The seals and flaws previously bestowed upon the three artifacts by the 【Tree of Creation】 were now being personally lifted with the sacred prayers.

And at the moment the seal was completely lifted…

The three artifacts intertwined once again, elevating and merging into one above the River of Time!

“Vroom!!!!!!”

The true origin artifact, the fruit of the 【Tree of Creation】, descended before the pray-er.

It was a sword.

Based on the 【Judging Sword】, the 【Ring of Salvation】 was embedded in the hilt, and the 【Crown of the Uncrowned】 transformed into scales of light like stars, bestowing upon this sword the supreme holy power and authority.

This was the answer given by the 【Tree of Creation】.

For He is the embodiment of that which exists and does not exist, His concept surpassing causality, stepping out of time. He is omniscient and omnipotent, yet cannot interfere with any 【reality】.

Thus, He grants the pray-er power and guidance to shatter the barriers of mistakes and blood.

But such monumental power still requires a worthy master.

So, His will echoes beyond time.

【The Swordbearer… will grasp the 【Sword of Origin】 in hand.】

   

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