Ultimately, Xia De accepted the profane cross, though he felt Miss Swift was looking at him strangely after lunch.
After lunch, Xia De left the auction house and took a carriage alone to the House of the Blind in Lufu Lane. Even though the weather had turned colder recently, Sister Devlin, who was already waiting, was still dressed in her dark gray silk nun's robe.
According to their agreement last Wednesday, Sister Devlin would take Xia De to the headquarters of the Spiritual Cultivation Order today and inform him more about the Order and the First Fire.
After confirming that Xia De was free for the entire afternoon, the two boarded a carriage at the back door of the House of the Blind and headed out of the City.
Even Grandma Cassandra wasn't particularly clear about the exact location of the Order's stronghold, only knowing it was somewhere from the southern Old Town of Middlesburg to the mountainous area. In the end, Sister Devlin brought Xia De to the Snake Heart Hospital at the foot of Sicar Mountain.
Snake Heart Hospital is a very old chain hospital on the Old Continent, well-known among commoners, especially skilled in pediatrics and gynecology. Due to its semi-charitable profit model, it even became the rhode cards card face 【Charitable Institution · Snake Heart Hospital】, and this rhode cards is currently in the hands of the owner of Sin Mansion.
Ring術士 organizations all have their own ways of making money, after all, even extraordinary individuals can't conjure pounds out of thin air. The Spiritual Cultivation Order relies on operating similar hospitals and collaborating with universities to gain profitable income and policy-based grants.
Although it doesn't sound as profitable as businesses like auction houses, it's more than enough to support a Ring術士 organization that primarily focuses on asceticism.
The Snake Heart Hospital in Middlesburg is located on the edge of the slum in the Old Town south of the City. The hospital is a three-story building, occupying most of a street. The building itself, like the gradually decaying Old Town, still bears the shadow of past glory, but compared to other buildings in Mi Fort, it appears unremarkable.
Although it's very large, because it's located in the Old Town and only treats a few types of patients, its reputation isn't prominent. Before this, Xia De didn't even know Middlesburg had this hospital.
"Sister, if your stronghold is here, how could Grandma Cassandra not know?"
Xia De asked curiously as he stepped out of the carriage, holding an umbrella. The Old Town in the rain appeared even more dilapidated, as if an already dirty oil painting had been splashed with water. The air carried the scent of damp earth, and there were almost no people on the streets.
The Sister, wearing a silver eye patch, shook her head slightly. Guided by a Sister who rushed out of the hospital to greet them, she led Xia De up the steps and through two open wooden doors into the hospital's interior.
The gas lamps were a bit dim, but they barely managed to illuminate the hospital corridor on the rainy, overcast day. There were wet marks on the floor, though it was unclear if it had just been mopped. Inside the hospital were local commoners dressed in black or gray coarse cloth. As they walked up the stairs, they could hear the cries of babies, signaling the arrival of new life.
Therefore, although it looked a bit gloomy on a rainy day, there was no terrifying atmosphere here.
The hospital's structure was interesting; to reach the eastern part of the first floor, one couldn't go directly from the first floor. Instead, one had to go up to the second floor, then cross to the eastern part, and then descend the stairs.
Xia De observed the hospital's interior as he walked, then realized that since he came to this world, he seemed to have never been sick.
Along the way, a small crimson bird flew in from unknown where and landed on Sister Devlin's shoulder. A rare smile appeared on the exquisite face beneath the Sister's eye patch as she greeted the little bird, which then flew out the window towards the distant Sicar Mountain.
Xia De looked hesitantly at the golden color at the bottom of the crimson bird's wings and asked in a low voice:
"Is this..."
"Yes, it has been reborn and intends to stay by my side for the next hundred years. This is also a rebirth for it; it needs my flame to recover its strength as quickly as possible."
Their final destination was the basement of Snake Heart Hospital, but the basement had no passage leading deeper underground. At the end of the basement, there was a small room hidden by an illusion. The room was roughly the same size as Xia De's current master bedroom, almost empty of furniture, but the floor and walls were covered with various runes.
These were not the runes commonly used by Ring術士 of this epoch; they should belong to an older extraordinary system from an earlier epoch.
In the center of the room was a platform with three steps, and on an iron frame atop the platform, a huge oil painting was displayed. Even if Xia De's bed were stood upright, it wouldn't be as massive as that oil painting.
The oil painting was framed by a huge square metal frame, whose thickness exceeded Xia De's waist. From one side, the width of the frame itself was about the size of Xia De's palm. The metal surface was not smooth, as if worms had burrowed into the metal, leaving raised marks on the surface.
As for the content of the oil painting, it depicted an ancient Sacrificial Ground built with gray stone at the peak of mountains. The background was mountains and clouds, very dark, making it look somewhat oppressive.
"I feel the power of space."
Xia De said, then paused and added:
"But this is not a relic."
"Yes, please follow me."
The Sister ascended the steps, reached out to touch the surface of the oil painting, and then disappeared.
"Spatial movement? No, spatial movement in the material world is very dangerous. This is not spatial movement, but two spatial anomaly zones that were already connected."
Xia De found the answer from the Knowledge he learned at Saint Byron's, knowing that such solidified spatial passages were equivalent to top-tier alchemical items, which could no longer be replicated in the modern sixth epoch. It wasn't that the alchemy techniques were lost, but that the space of the material world was vastly different from previous epochs.
He followed, carefully touching the oil painting, feeling his body pass through a transparent water membrane. Then he found himself standing at the entrance of the gray stone Sacrificial Ground depicted in the oil painting. The sky was gloomy, but it wasn't raining. Looking out, there was a steep, rugged stone mountain path descending, with only one artificially created small path leading up, and Xia De was standing at the end of that path.
Compared to the oil painting, the Sacrificial Ground before him was not very dilapidated. Its area was about three or four Saint Delan Squares, and it was clear at a glance that this building was definitely not constructed in the sixth epoch.
This should be the peak of a high mountain. Looking further out, one could see rolling mountains:
"Is this... deep within the Rommel Mountains?"
Xia De could only roughly estimate that the Rommel Mountains are located in the central-eastern part of the Old Continent, and Sicar Mountain is only a part of the mountain range, but only in the northern periphery. The mountainous terrain within the mountains is extremely complex; even in the Age of Steam, civilization had not fully covered every corner of the mountains.
Or rather, even in the Age of Steam, civilization still hadn't set foot in most areas of the mountains. If the Spiritual Cultivation Order's stronghold was here, even if the Witch Council deliberately searched, they probably wouldn't find it.
"Yes, this is deep within the Rommel Mountains, within the territory of the Principality of Seth. If you were to walk here from Middlesburg, even knowing the way, it would take at least three days and three nights of continuous travel. The Order's illusion hides the nearby roads, and the Sisters and monks of the Order generally do not enter or exit here by walking. Currently, the most convenient way is through that painting. Besides that, we can also travel to a few cities on the Old Continent, but it requires complex rituals to activate the passages from the previous epoch remaining inside the Sacrificial Ground. Therefore, it's also fine to consider the Order's stronghold to be Middlesburg."
Sister Devlin said, leading Xia De into the ancient Sacrificial Ground.
The Spiritual Cultivation Order is a Ring術士 organization that has been passed down from the fourth epoch, but the predecessor of the Order was part of the ancient death god Order, so the history of this Sacrificial Ground is probably even older than the fourth epoch.
Although Xia De only saw one building, besides the Sacrificial Ground, there were also towers, burial grounds, and abandoned ruins around. The ruins were once the church of the ancient death god, but the church was completely destroyed in a major earthquake during the fourth epoch.
The main body of the Sacrificial Ground is built with gray stone and is divided into upper, middle, and lower layers. The lower layer is inside the mountain peak, so entering from the doorway leads into the middle layer.
Although the Spiritual Cultivation Order operates in the civilized world, a quarter of its members are permanently stationed here for asceticism and study. While it appears desolate, there are actually many people here.
Compared to its obviously ancient exterior, the interior of the Sacrificial Ground had a steam-era appearance. The ground was paved with relatively flat flooring, and the walls were all whitewashed. There were even steam engines and gas storage tanks underground to supply the nuns and monks living here.
If Xia De had appeared directly inside the Sacrificial Ground from the start, he would never have guessed its ancient history.
"We also need to keep up with the times."
Sister Devlin, who was leading Xia De through a passage, or rather, a corridor, said, "Failure to adapt to the times will only lead to being eliminated by the world. Only with such wisdom can one come from past eras to the present."
Xia De began to imagine if Saint Byron's, also very wise, was similarly a blend of "modernization" and "mysticism."
The Outsider was very curious about this place. Strictly speaking, this was the first Ring術士 gathering place he had formally visited—Saint Byron's didn't count, as he only frequented the Library and only saw bookshelves.
Sister Devlin introduced things to Xia De as they walked, and after turning a corner, a young nun immediately approached them.
The Spiritual Cultivation Order didn't have a precise ranking system, but generally, those with normal eyes were the most ordinary members, those with their eyes covered by burlap were official members, and those with silver eye masks were core members. The two nuns who approached looked to be around Leia's age, with normal eyes.
They quietly greeted Sister Devlin, then began discussing some matters she needed to handle.
Xia De had met most of the High-Ring Sorcerers of the Order, especially the three High-Ring Nuns who had helped him open the path to the Gap that Wednesday night; they were familiar faces. No one expressed confusion about Xia De's presence here; any decision made by Sister Devlin would not be questioned.
The interior of the Sacrificial Ground was divided into multiple areas, including plenty of living quarters and a Library. Most other areas were related to the Order's daily prayers, stargazing, moon worship, and Ring術士 research activities. Sister Devlin led Xia De on a tour and even personally used a crystal ball to perform a divination for Xia De, but she could only "see" a mass of white fog.
There were many ancient murals on the stone walls of the passages throughout the Sacrificial Ground, still clear due to maintenance. Through these murals, Xia De generally understood the origin and development of the Spiritual Cultivation Order. He even saw murals depicting the Battle of Sicar Mountain on the walls, which was also a noteworthy event in the Order's development.
Connecting the upper, middle, and lower levels of the Sacrificial Ground were not stairs, but a massive stone elevator powered by steam. Once stepped on, it would operate automatically, its chains rattling, making Xia De quite concerned about the safety of such an elevator.
Their destination was the Library on the lower level of the Sacrificial Ground, where nearby murals depicted the Order's origin. Xia De saw a symbol representing the "Original Fire" among them, meaning that the flame had been passed down in the Order for a very long time.
"It is said that in the early fifth epoch, the scale of the flame in my hand could cover the entire Sacrificial Ground," the nun said, then invited Xia De to follow her deeper into the Sacrificial Ground.
Only one passage led there, and that was the true Sacrificial Ground: "Yes, this Sacrificial Ground was originally used to sacrifice to the First Fire. But that was in the ancient epoch, when people not only believed in gods but also revered all things."
There was no door at the end of the passage, nor any light inside. The nun stood there, holding up the flame in her hand. As the stream of fire entered the pitch-black space at the end, the firelight gradually illuminated it.
It was a circular, true Sacrificial Ground. The corridor connected to the bottom, and the center was empty except for an old brazier. Surrounding it were ascending tiers of steps, indicating that this was a space within a mountain. Its appearance was remarkably similar to the Witch Council, only without a round table in the center.
Xia De told Sister Devlin his thoughts, and the nun nodded slightly: "Yes, last weekend I accepted an invitation and officially entered the Witch Council. It is indeed similar to this place; such architectural styles must have been popular in the ancient epoch."
The firelight entered the central brazier, and vigorous flames danced within it. The fuel that ignited the First Fire was some golden-colored bones. A longsword with its blade encased in gray stone was also stuck in the brazier; that was the angel-level relic, ashes, Sister Devlin's usual weapon: "Every generation of nuns who have inherited the flame have speculated that the weakness of the First Fire represents the decline of civilization and the world. While the strength of this flame is not a key factor influencing the strength of civilization and the world, we believe that finding more embers and kindling can delay the coming of the end of the world."
The nun walked to the dancing flames, clasped her hands together in front of her, and bowed slightly as if observing the fire. The firelight danced on her exquisite silver eye mask, casting a fiery red glow on her fair face.
Xia De also followed closely: "Besides the weakening of the First Fire, does the Spiritual Cultivation Order possess any other evidence that the world is nearing its end?"
"Not really. But one must always do something," the nun said softly, bending down to pick up the kerosene lamp from beside the brazier, the one obtained from the 【Sin Manor】 that could hold any kind of flame: "Our own efforts to search for embers and kindling are not ideal in speed, but Ring術士 capable of bearing the power of the First Fire are truly hard to find. Only by being bathed in the fire's power can one know which embers are suitable and which items are sufficient as kindling. Mr. Hamilton, the flame of the First Fire is still in my hand, and I hope you can help me collect embers."
The kerosene lamp was handed to Xia De.
"Bring it to me. To find kindling..." She paused, then added, "It will be more efficient for the fire in my hand to burn them. Those ancient and powerful souls are the best fuel."
"I can help with all of that," Xia De nodded. "But regarding the end of the world, I hope to get more information."
Even Sister Devlin couldn't be sure if this would truly happen, or when, so Xia De was half-skeptical: "We are the most unbreakable allies, especially regarding the Chosen One. Therefore, I hope you can find a way recently, using projection rituals or similar methods, to communicate with my friend Luvia Annett. In fact, she knows the most about the Chosen One, and I am merely the executor."
"No problem. Please take this flame back and throw it into a fireplace or brazier. We can meet in the fire."
The nun pointed to the portable kerosene lamp, and the flame from her fingertip lit the wick.
"Ten o'clock tonight."
Xia De set the time, then looked at the flames before them and asked, "Also, you've invited me here multiple times. It shouldn't just be to show me the history of the Order and the situation of the First Fire, right?"
"Grandma Cassandra said you know many ancient scripts."
Xia De nodded; this was probably mentioned by Miss Jialinna and the Old Witch: "Yes, you want me to help interpret some text? No problem."
"The First Fire was once split into many parts, and the Order has always been committed to re-aggregating those fragmented flames. We once found a stone tablet recording the circumstances of the First Fire's split, but the text on it is very ancient."
As the nun spoke, she led Xia De closer to the bottom of the ascending rows of steps. A dark passage here led to the base of the steps, which was the Order's space for storing valuable items.
Passing through the archway, a giant stone tablet stood upright in the darkness. It was about two Xia Des stacked on top of each other. Xia De held up the kerosene lamp in his hand and found that the upper left corner of the stone tablet was missing, as if broken by an external force, and there were many traces of sharp objects scraping its surface, but fortunately, the characters were still clear.
After a careful look, he asked the waiting Sister Devlin behind him, suspiciously, "Are you sure this really is a stone tablet recording the split of the First Fire?"
"Yes, is there a problem?"
"If I'm not mistaken, what's recorded on it is clearly an ancient fairy tale."
