Only God

After three days and nights, the three of them understood clearly that no matter how intent they were on destroying the miracles, and no matter if they actually killed Xilan, the sun would still rise as usual, and He would exhibit His power time and time again, manifesting miracles upon the earth.

"Do you understand why God wants to do this?"

Xilan asked softly.

The three of them nodded their heads, as if they all had comprehended something; this was a gift. He had bestowed upon them the power to kill Xilan and, at the same time, this was also a trial. They understood that if sin was sin, was it not because of the price?

"Xilan, we nearly killed you."

Hiris spoke guiltily,

"May you forgive us, may the Father forgive us."

Xilan nodded slightly, then said:

"I do not hold a grudge against you.

Just as God holds no grudge against anyone.

Even the Sapo King, despised in the scriptures, was also granted an immortal soul by God."

Xilan's voice fell upon the shallow lake, and after a moment of stunned silence, the three could not help but nod in agreement.

The shallow lake remained quiet.

Xilan slightly lowered his gaze, pressing his hands together as if speaking to someone.

All around was a profound silence, with bitter plants standing still under the water. Death had approached the Prophet's disciple numerous times, but now not only had it ceased its approach, but it had also moved away. The blank room slowly shifted from dim to bright, as if a faint halo appeared over Xilan's head.

Those three beings were Divine in the Celestial Kingdom, but in this room, they were equal mortals. Xilan stood facing them, raising his hands, as if proclaiming like the very first Prophet who created paintings:

"Cast off your sins, for you now belong to God.

For you have come to recognize both yourselves and God."

The words of Xilan reached their ears, and something seemed to rise in the depths of their souls. After struggles and ordeals, their hands trembled uncontrollably, and tears shimmered in their eyes.

The three reacted differently. Hiris trembled all over, his heart overflowing with joy, while Utus showed fervor and pride. Laren, who felt deeply burdened by his sins, appeared utterly ashamed, even wishing to descend to Hell immediately to suffer the punishments he deserved and to labor exhaustingly for those who had been wronged.

"To become a Prophet..."

Hiris suddenly spoke up,

"I want to ask you something."

Xilan nodded and said:

"Please ask."

Hiris took a deep breath and spoke quietly:

"I want to know, since entering this room, has the Father been watching us, scrutinizing us?"

Xilan did not deny it,

"Yes, you are right,

God has been watching you all along."

Despite the earlier suspicion, the other two still showed a hint of surprise, exchanging glances.

Hiris nodded contentedly, saying:

"Then I have no more questions to ask."

It was then Laren's turn to speak,

"I do.

I want to know, will that vision of the future truly come to pass?"

The last vision that was shown had greatly shaken Laren and had been the final push for his transformation.

At that moment, he was a mere step from the precipice.

And that vast power emanating from his soul made him leap decisively into the abyss.

In response to Laren's question, Xilan neither nodded nor shook his head,

"I do not know.

Only God knows that future."

Laren asked eagerly:

"Do you know anything?"

Xilan pondered for a brief moment before speaking slowly:

"I only knew that God once told me that one day, He would return to the Mortal World and once again set His feet upon the earth."

The three of them were instantly shocked, involuntarily exclaiming:

"Has that day already come? Has our Father arrived?

If He has, where would He be?"

In the face of these successive questions and three anxious faces, Xilan slightly lowered his eyes.

He whispered like a Prophet:

"Do not ask where He is,

but ask...

where is He going?"

All three heard these words; at that moment, the blank room slowly faded away, the temporarily stripped Divine Power gradually returned, and the tranquil shallow lake slowly seeped into the land. The aquatic plants also disappeared without a trace during this process, and at last, the room completely vanished, and they all returned to the base of Pasofilo's Six-layered Mountain.

The previously bloody setting sun had disappeared, and Hiris had taken it as the Father's wrath. Now the sky was clear, exceptionally azure.

Having returned to this familiar Mortal World, Hiris had a realization. Before these three days, unaware of their own flaws, they desired to destroy divine signs, just as the people of Logos had killed the Angel. But in the end, no one wished to kill Xilan anymore. They deceived themselves in all kinds of ways, but now, God had revealed Himself in their hearts.

The three Divine Beings looked at each other, getting used to human weakness after three days and now somewhat unable to adapt to their former Divine might, something unimaginable before.

"We have recognized ourselves..."

They thought to themselves,

At this time, from the depths of their souls, an ethereal, impractical voice seemed to arise,

"Children, you are Mine."

They suddenly looked up, searching all around, as if wanting to find the source of the voice. They saw the leaves of the distant trees shaking, the sunlight shining across the expansive mountain foothills. They pricked their ears, waited a long time, and touched their earlobes doubtfully, trying hard to hear something, yet only the rustle of branches and faint bird songs filled their ears, as if nothing had happened.

However, the sky seemed brighter, more expansive.

"Did you hear that?"

Hiris couldn't help but ask.

Utus nodded without hesitation.

Laren was uneasy but eventually nodded.

At this point, the three Divine Beings finally confirmed that it was not an Illusion but the voice of the Father.

Xilan looked at them and slowly said:

"Now, go to Kaelonde."

Hiris nodded firmly. While in the room, he had already prepared himself.

But Utus and Laren belatedly came to their senses, and the two Divine Beings suddenly turned pale, shivering uncontrollably.

"What's wrong?"

Xilan asked, puzzled.

"It's already too late; the great fire of Kaelonde is about to ignite."

Laren shouted in a panic.

Countless pains and self-reproaches instantly engulfed Laren. He was the mastermind, the person behind it all. In the past, the Dream God shifted the blame to mortals in front of the Gods, but now, he could no longer do so.

Laren painfully clutched his head, wishing he could travel back in time to chastise his own folly; for such was not the act of a Divine Spirit. If he could go back, he would even want to kill his former self to prevent the disaster from occurring.

Utus, a co-conspirator, felt a similar agony, realizing that his past actions had violated his long-held principles.

In the face of their plight, Xilan had only a trace of compassion; he was a flesh-and-blood person, naturally feeling more compassion for the righteous than the wicked. Indeed, for many, feeling compassion for the wicked is difficult and misunderstood; a slight sin would make them wish the death penalty upon that person.

Yet, for the vast world, sin is inevitable. People's hearts are not always clear and pure, and the terror of death drives people to extremes, as not everyone is born wanting to do evil; sometimes, it's circumstances that force them to act wickedly. If the punishment for theft and murder is both death, then why not simply commit murder?

As such, once one has sinned, the best thing to do is to make amends to the best of one's ability, to receive one's punishment.

For a small country with rare sins, death can curb all wickedness,

but for a world incessant with sin,

a sinner who has come to a realization and is willing to atone is much better than one who is obstinate in their wickedness.