The vortex spun in the dark sky, but eventually stopped growing after it covered all of Holy City. Catastrophe was once again about to strike the place. The members of the Twofold Alliance had already dealt with a curse resurgence, taboo poison, and scorching heavenfire. Things were already miserable. Their captured patriarchs had been freed, which brought some hope. But then a god arrived, and that hope was shredded to pieces. Despair filled the city.6

Also filled with despair were the surviving five Spirit Trove experts. Three of them, those in dao begetting, were shaken to the point of being dazed. The godly might of the god’s finger had bereft them of any hope of defending themselves. They were so terrified their minds were blank.0

The patriarchs both had secret troves that had produced heavenly daos. Although the violet moon had awoken the curse within them, they could still cling to lucidity. In fact, it was that very lucidity that caused them to be filled with so much astonishment and terror that it slowly became pure despair. In the final analysis, each of them had only a single secret trove. Perhaps if they had five, placing them in the great circle of Spirit Trove,...3