Shen Feng's Silicon-Based Brain was now operating at full speed, spreading his thought waves across the entire square and enveloping the Super Giant War Armor—the Golden Mad King—that towered nearby.
He had even donned the helmet forged from Sacrificial Stone Metal, amplifying his brainwaves to their absolute maximum.
The moment they saw Shen Feng, everyone present was thunderstruck, completely unable to believe their own eyes.
Everyone on Cordillera Main Island had seen the footage of the Savior's death, and because of it, had lost all hope.
But the black-haired young man who now appeared before them was none other than the Savior!
The very same Savior Army Commander they all believed to be dead!
"Impossible... you're already dead! You're a fake! A fake!" Dormammu, the emissary from the Purification Church, shouted, his face a mask of panic as he pointed at Shen Feng.
Beside Dormammu, Charlotte, the former leader of the Western Minstrel Council, was also staring in utter shock, his eyes wide. He staggered back several steps, nearly falling off the high platform as he stammered:
"Impossible... It's really... It's really the Savior... It's you... It's really you!?"
In an instant, his knees gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, his entire body trembling as if he were about to faint.
It wasn't just Charlotte. The hundred thousand-plus people present all let out a collective gasp that sounded like a howling wind. Many of the women screamed and fainted on the spot, while others babbled incoherently, unable to believe what they were seeing:
"Savior above! It's... it's the Savior!?"
"The Commander has returned?! Long live! The Commander has returned!"
"I'm not dreaming, am I!? If this is a dream, please don't let me ever wake up!"
"SOB... Savior! Commander! You've finally... you've finally..."
"Please forgive us, please have mercy, please forgive us..."
"Savior! Savior! Savior!"
The crowd's frenzied shouts were like a tidal wave. Even the guards who had been holding firearms completely lost their fighting spirit, dropping their weapons to prostrate themselves in the dust, their faces overcome with rapturous joy.
Many people standing farther away desperately surged forward, wanting to see the Savior's face up close.
The devout cheers of the people on Cordillera Main Island were even more fanatical than those in the Glory Market.
"This man is a Devil! A Blasphemer! He's a fake! Kill him! Kill him now!" Dormammu's eyes bulged as he pointed at Shen Feng on the ship's bridge and roared, "Guards! Guards! Open fire!"
The words had barely left his mouth when several dozen soldiers furtively raised their guns, preparing to fire at Shen Feng.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT...
BANG! BANG!
A chaotic burst of gunfire erupted. The men preparing to attack Shen Feng never even had a chance to fire before they were riddled with bullets by their own comrades. Others were tackled to the ground by the furious crowd, about to be torn to shreds in moments.
These men were all agents of the Purification Church who had infiltrated the Western Council. Only now did they realize that with the man's appearance, the timid islanders who had been living in constant terror had transformed into furious lions—the most loyal of warriors!
They never stood a chance to act!
The hundred thousand-plus people present were all swept up in a fanatical frenzy. Whether they were unarmed civilians or soldiers armed to the teeth, anyone born and raised in the Water World Apocalypse had heard the legends of the Savior.
For them, their reverence for the Savior and the Salvation Army was etched into their very bones.
Thus, with a single glance, they knew in their hearts that the young man before them was their Commander, the Savior destined to save the entire world.
After suffering the devastating blow of the Savior's supposed death, everyone now felt as if they had been reborn.
Charlotte suddenly snapped his head up, his eyes flashing with a cocktail of regret, remorse, relief, shame, and anger. He spun around and pounced on Dormammu like a leopard, pinning him firmly to the ground.
"Charlotte! Have you given up on obtaining eternity!? You saw the Divine Power of my god with your own eyes! This person is just someone who looks like the Savior..." Dormammu yelled.
Charlotte froze at his words. He glanced over at Shen Feng in the distance, and then his expression became resolute once more. As he bound Dormammu's hands, he said:
"I've already made one terrible mistake; I can't make another. Eternity? It means nothing in the Commander's presence. Once we have properly welcomed the Commander, I will of course accept the punishment I deserve."
"Madman! You're all madmen! The Salvation Army? You're just a bunch of reckless fools who don't know what's good for them! You... you people are more of a cult than the Purification Church!" Dormammu yelled, struggling and squirming, but he couldn't break free.
At the same time, sounds of gunfire and brawling erupted from various places. The few people who had been ready to fully submit to the Purification Church were either shot and killed or subdued by the Salvation Army followers around them.
The people standing on the warship's deck were both stunned and thrilled. They had been prepared to defend the Commander to the death, but they never imagined they wouldn't even need to lift a finger. The people loyal to the Commander—loyal to their own faith—would pave the way for the Savior's return on their own.
All it took was for the Savior to show himself.
The commotion on Cordillera Main Island continued as Charlotte and a dozen of his men escorted Dormammu to the warship.
Several rope ladders were thrown down from the deck. Charlotte and his men scrambled up, hauling Dormammu before the young man.
Up close, Charlotte was even more certain: the young man before him was the legendary Savior.
The regret and shame in his heart were overwhelming. Not daring to meet the Savior's gaze, he could only shove Dormammu forcefully to the ground.
And yet, the joy of the Savior's return also surged within him. It was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.
Dormammu, however, had calmed down. He strained to lift his head and look at the young man, chuckling darkly.
"Savior? So what if you're real? The Whispering God has already shown his divine miracle. Only by believing in him can one ascend to Paradise Island and attain eternity..."
Just then, Witch Tower and the others dragged over a tightly bound man.
The man had been locked in the ship's hold for too long; his spirit was broken and his skin was pale. Thrown onto the deck, he immediately let out a groan.
Shen Feng said calmly:
"Paradise Island? You mean him?"
The moment Dormammu saw the man, the color drained from his face and he stammered:
"Eddy!? You... what are you doing here!? Why aren't you on Paradise Island?"
This captured man was none other than the leader of the Purification Church, Eddy Bagot, whom Witch Tower and his team had captured from "Paradise Island."
"Dormammu?" Eddy recognized the man before him and gave a bitter laugh. "You got caught, too? Hah. Some Paradise Island. It's just the back of a World Beast... nothing but a cover for the Quantum Force Field Core..."
He had been locked in the hold ever since his capture and never expected to see a fellow Purifier, Dormammu, upon being brought out. In fact, he had been the one to dispatch Dormammu on his mission.
Dormammu gave a wretched smile, understanding dawning on him. But instead of despair, he seemed to become even more crazed, twisting his neck to scream at Shen Feng:
"Hahahaha! You destroyed Paradise Island! You destroyed the divine miracle! You will all be punished by the god's messengers! The sacrifice has begun! So what if you're the real Savior! It's meaningless! Die! Let's all die together!"
The words had barely left his lips when a deep droning sound suddenly rose from the distant sea:
BWOOOOOOOM—
Immediately after, the sea began to bulge, forming a massive, hill-like shape that moved toward Cordillera Main Island.
Beneath this massive, hill-shaped wave, a dark silhouette could be faintly seen, along with tentacles thousands of meters long writhing under the water.
The Mad Beast Horn acoustic weapon, which had been active for some time, had clearly done its job.
The World Beast had arrived.