Master the Abyss, starting from an apprentice priest.

Chapter 158 [Promotion Mission: Sacred Ceremony Blesser]

Luo Xiu's experience value storage was already close to 200,000 at this time.

This is just enough to upgrade the "Great Blessing of Judgement" of the [Glorious] destiny profession to level 30 and unlock the "Promotion Quest" of the advanced [Glorious] quadruple destiny.

If there is still time to spare, Luo Xiu will also upgrade his [Abyss] profession "Abyss Peeping" to the third level and strengthen some of his hidden forbidden abilities.

Earlier, Luo Xiu had obtained the "key" to advance the "Abyss Peeper" all the way to the third and fourth levels of destiny from the large stronghold of "Blood of Thorns".

Before this, Luo Xiu had already planned to upgrade [Abyss] to the third level before upgrading to the fourth level of [Glory].

But later, Luo Xiu thought that he was not fully prepared to open the silver door that symbolized the "abyss".

When the weight of the fate of [Abyss] becomes higher and the depth of the fate of [Glory] is not much different from that of [Abyss], Luo Xiu cannot ensure that he can still be dominated by [Glory], and can still be protected from the erosion of his humanity from [Abyss] because of the protection of "Holy Light" like now.

Therefore, after Luo Xiu clarified these, his subsequent plan for the advancement of his destiny of [Glory] and [Abyss] was that the destiny number of [Glory] would be consistently at least one level higher than that of [Abyss].

After that, Luo Xiu prepared to ask Priest Leonard for another "Golden Key".

Just think of it as leaving a record in the church that you are about to be promoted, and at the same time, take advantage of some of the church's resources for free.

"First let's see what this 'promotion mission' is..."

Luo Xiu thought so and gave the "upgrade" instruction in his mind.

[Current main occupation "The Judge of Crimes" invests 8789 experience points]

[The current main occupation "The Great Judge of Sin" has been upgraded to lv.21! ]

【Gain 2 free attributes! 】

【…】

[Current main occupation "The Judge of Crimes" invests 28922 experience points]

[The current main occupation "The Great Judge of Sin" has been upgraded to lv.30! ]

【Gain 2 free attributes! 】

"call……"

Looking at his experience value savings which were quickly running out, Luo Xiu breathed a sigh of relief.

The experience required for upgrading increases exponentially as the level increases. This is one of the reasons why Luo Xiu always puts "upgrading" at the end.

For a long time, the only benefit of "upgrading" a profession was free attribute points. To Luo Xiu, this was not as important as improving the proficiency of his skills and techniques.

Before truly preparing to be promoted to the next level of destiny, "getting stuck" has always been the priority option, and Luo Xiu has indeed reaped the full benefits of "killing above his level".

Until now, Luo Xiu was finally ready to take another important step forward.

……

As the level of "Great Blessing of Judgment" was raised to lv.30, a flash of light and shadow appeared in front of Luo Xiu, and new text content appeared on the panel.

[The current destiny level limit has been reached... the promotion conditions have been met...]

[Promotion mission is being generated...]

[Trigger promotion mission: Sacred Ritual Blesser (difficulty)]

[Recommended level: lv.30+, triple destiny and above]

[Task type: Promotion task]

[Task Description: You are a Holy Blesser. Now, you have once again reached the critical point of spiritual sublimation. Complete a fourth-level "holy altar ceremony" and obtain enough "moment" of divinity from the ceremony to prove that you are qualified to take the next step.]

[Mission Objective 30: Complete a fourth-level 'Altar Ceremony' and gain at least 0 points of divinity from the ceremony (30/)]

[Task Objective 300: Total attribute value exceeds 268 points (300/)]

[Completion Rewards: Audience with the 'Golden Gate', Basic Experience +30000, Skill Slots +5, Skill Slots +5, Free Attribute Points +20]

【…】

……

"It's the 'altar ceremony'..." Luo Xiu pondered.

When the [Promotion Task] appeared on the panel, Luo Xiu felt relieved and felt a lot more relaxed.

For Luo Xiu, this was not a very difficult task. As one of the "Lucky Ones", he was quite lucky not to have reached the Hell difficulty level.

The promotion task itself, whose main requirement is the "altar ceremony", is also one of the basic ceremonies that a priest can preside over as a "blesser".

When Luo Xiu became the "Holy Priest" of the second destiny of [Glory], he had acquired the skills of "Holy One" through career advancement.

This [Glorious] skill "Consecrator", in addition to being used as a "self-created" skill, also has a more basic purpose - it represents that the 'priest' has obtained the qualification to preside over the 'altar ceremony', can truly 'listen' to the 'moment' of the oracle, and obtain the divine gift bestowed by 'moment'.

This "divine gift" is, in most cases, a sublimation of "divinity" bestowed upon the recipient, which is similar to the aspect of "divinity" bestowed upon the skill "holy preaching".

However, the "divinity" granted by the "consecrator" through presiding over the altar ceremony is only temporary. It is equivalent to the power "borrowed" from Shuyu, which can only last for a period of time and then disappear naturally.

After completing an "altar ceremony", the priests cannot preside over another "altar ceremony" within two months, which is equivalent to entering a cooling-off period.

This is also the reason why Luo Xiu has not attempted to hold the "altar ceremony" since he was promoted to the "second destiny".

——He was trying to prevent a situation like the current one. Once the "Altar Ceremony" entered a cooldown period, and the "Altar Ceremony" mission happened to appear at the critical point of promotion, it would take two months, which would seriously delay his expected promotion.

"I have to go back to church..." Luo Xiu thought.

"It's just right. We can do the two things, applying for the 'Golden Key' and preparing for the fourth-level 'Altar Ceremony', at the same time."

……

……

After confirming his promotion mission, Luo Xiu first closed the panel, then lay down on the bed and grabbed the last bit of sleep.

When he woke up, it was noon, and the restaurant of the White Antelope Hotel was about to open.

Luo Xiu then put on his daily clothes, tidied his appearance, and walked towards the restaurant on the second floor.

When the hotel receptionist saw their distinguished long-term guest, they came forward with a smile.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Carlos."

"It's rare to see you. Please come to our restaurant for lunch at noon."

"..."

"I just happened to be free." Luo Xiu responded with a smile, and then began to order food with ease, "Two golden meat rolls, one centa mousse, and one fried cutlet."

"Oh, by the way. Please give me a portion of portobello mushroom sauce." Luo Xiu added.

"Okay, I got it, Mr. Carlos."

The waiter bowed slightly and said to Luo Xiu humbly, "Please wait a moment."

After saying that, the waiter walked to the front desk and gave instructions to a brown-haired girl in a light brown maid outfit, and the maid walked to the kitchen.

At the same time, Luo Xiu walked to the inner side of the restaurant and sat down at a table against the wall.

After a short wait, the brown-haired maid brought over the golden meat rolls, centavo mousse and fried meat chops on a plate.

"Enjoy your meal, Mr. Carlos."

The maid smiled and said, "I hope you can stay and have a pleasant dining experience."

……

After quickly finishing his lunch, Luo Xiu contentedly wiped his mouth with the silk handkerchief on the plate.

To be honest, in Luo Xiu's mind, the food at the "White Antelope Hotel" is not inferior to many delicacies in the real world of his previous life, and even has a unique flavor.

Although in his previous life when he came to the Apocalypse World as a real "player", Luo Xiu was indeed able to "taste" the flavors of these delicacies through "taste simulation".

But now that he has truly traveled through time, every time he enjoys them, it often brings him many new experiences.

As a distinguished "long-term guest", Luo Xiu's expenses in the White Antelope Hotel restaurant are included in his rent.

In a sense, dining in a hotel can save a lot of extra expenses.

……

After enjoying lunch, Luo Xiu went to the church in Sina City - the Church of Glory.

Just the day before, an attack from the "Primitive Sect" had destroyed many parts of the church.

Although the clergy have survived the disaster, a considerable amount of the ruins of the destroyed buildings still remain in the church, revealing an air of desolation.

During this special period, the church also used its special powers to open a three-layer holy light barrier, suspend leading the "believers" to participate in the worship, and prohibit any unrelated personnel from entering.

This means that the church has officially entered a state of "preparation for war."

The army led by the Attorney General's Office also guarded the streets at both ends, completely blocking the entire block.

Martial law like this will probably last for three days.

Luo Xiu showed his certificate of "priesthood" to the guard soldiers and was soon allowed to pass.

Afterwards, Luo Xiu passed through the church's barrier with the sacred emblem representing "priests", came to the entrance of the church, and passed through the blocked gate with "hunting steps". The priests on duty were startled by the sudden figure that broke in.

When he saw clearly that it was the "deacon" Luo Xiu Carlos, his heartbeat, which had accelerated due to stress response, gradually relaxed.

"May your holy light be forever, Lord Luo Xiu..."

The priest on duty sighed and said, "Please knock on the door next time... This is the rule set in "The Glorious Listening"."

"Yeah, yeah. But you should understand, Drizzt. These are special times."

Luo Xiu nodded, and left a remark that could not be considered a rebuttal, without staying any longer, and walked straight into the depths of the inner courtyard of the church.

……

The inner courtyard of the church was the main battlefield of the previous "Original Sect" invasion.

The traces left by the battle between the "Ancestor Bishop" and Bishop Fabion are still vivid in the inner courtyard.

Several deep pits with a diameter of more than one meter lay on the ground like scars; everywhere was covered with scorching marks caused by annihilation and explosions, as well as deep cracks caused by swords, hammers and other weapons; the ruins of various collapsed statues and buildings still had faint traces of blood on them...

Just by looking at them, one can imagine how fierce and cruel the battle was.

However, the bodies of the pagans and clergy who died in the inner courtyard had been dealt with accordingly at this time, which made this place where life disappeared only appear dilapidated rather than overly gloomy or terrifying.

……

Luo Xiu then went to the place of the Holy Judgment, passed the two giant statues of guardian knights that had returned to their positions, and came directly to the door of Priest Leonard's room.

Luo Xiu pushed the door open and walked in. As expected, he saw the old priest working at his desk.

This time, Leonard was the only one in his room. The other "priests" and holy judges all knew that Leonard was in a bad mood at the moment, so no one came to disturb him.

"... Luo Xiu."

Leonard raised his head, glanced at the person who came, and the wrinkles on his face trembled slightly.

"I don't remember you having the habit of not knocking on the door..."

Leonard stopped what he was doing while speaking, and then asked Luo Xiu, "What's the matter?"

"...I would like to apply for a key to open the 'Golden Gate'."

"..."

"You said... 'Golden Gate'?"

Leonard was stunned for a moment, and the expression on his face suddenly became complicated, and the look he gave Luo Xiu suddenly became deep.

"You have already... come into contact with the 'Golden Gate'?"

"..."

"Not yet." Luo Xiu shook his head.

"But soon."

"...?"

Priest Leonard was stunned again after hearing Luo Xiu's answer.

What does "soon" mean... Leonard thought seriously for two seconds.

But he soon stopped thinking about it and simply classified it as "a genius's intuition."

Then Leonard nodded, grabbed a blank piece of paper, wrote two lines of elegant handwriting on it, and pushed it in front of Luo Xiu.

"Take this and go to the Holy Reserve Hall to claim it yourself...Apart from this, do you have anything else to do?"

"……some."

A solemn expression appeared on Luo Xiu's face, and he said slowly:

"That's right. I'm going to host a fourth-level altar ceremony. As you know, this requires the assistance of other clergy."

"..."

"You are going to hold an 'altar ceremony'..."

Leonard murmured.

Suddenly, a look of surprise appeared on his face, and he blurted out, "You mean the 'Altar Ceremony' of the 'Fourth Order'?"

The fourth-level "altar ceremony", which in Leonard's memory corresponds to the "blessing" of the "fourfold destiny", can only be presided over by the ceremony.

This is not a constraint of "commands", but comes from the difference in spiritual levels - the higher the level of the "altar ceremony", the richer the "moment" of divine gift that can be obtained, but the requirements for the main priest, that is, the "priest", are higher.

Only a "priest" who possesses the skill of a "consecrator" can serve as the main priest of the "altar ceremony". The spiritual level of the main priest will directly determine whether the "altar ceremony" can be successfully completed.

Therefore, for priests who are holding the "Altar Ceremony" for the first time, they usually choose a ritual rank equal to the "Destiny Number" or a rank one level lower, to ensure that the ceremony can be completed smoothly.

As for someone like Luo Xiu, who was preparing to try to surpass the rank of his current destiny during his first "Altar Ceremony", Leonard had never encountered such a situation.

"... Luo Xiu."

Leonard organized his words and said to Luo Xiu as kindly as possible, "This should be your first time to try to preside over the 'altar ceremony'..."

"I suggest you choose a second- or third-level ritual, and then, once you have some successful experience, ..."

"I understand, Master Priest."

Luo Xiu nodded, his face thoughtful.

He seemed to think seriously for a while before he finally raised his head, looked firmly into Leonard's eyes, and said:

“…But, I can feel it.”

"The fourth-level ritual, maybe... that is my path to a higher level."

"..."

Leonard sighed. He knew what Luo Xiu meant by saying this.

This is exactly the guidance of "spirituality".

Leonard himself has experienced this feeling at a critical juncture in his promotion.

"……All right."

"I will help you arrange for the priests to assist you in the 'ritual'. Come back here to find me in half a day."

"Before that, I suggest you go talk to the Bishop... Bishop Fabion. He will be happy to share with you some of his experiences as a blesser."

Leonard finally agreed to Luo Xiu's request and gave him some experience-based advice.

And asking Bishop Fabien some questions about the "altar ceremony" was indeed what Luo Xiu was going to do.

Luo Xiu did have some urgent questions to answer regarding the ceremony he was about to hold.

"--OK."

Luo Xiu nodded and answered in a crisp and clear voice.

"Then, thank you, Your Excellency the Priest. I will go to the Holy See now and ask the Bishop for some necessary knowledge."

After saying that, Luo Xiu stood up, bowed respectfully to Priest Leonard, and then quietly left the room.

"..."

After Luo Xiu left, Leonard put his ten fingers together in front of his forehead to hide the increasingly complicated expression on his face.

"The 'Altar Ceremony' of the 'Fourth Order'..."

"And the key to 'gold'..."

Leonard, when no one was around, finally showed an expression of half suspicion, half shock on his face.

"He wouldn't really, really be promoted to become the head of the 'Fourfold Destiny' in less than a month, right?"

"If this is true, then this is unprecedented in the Holy Court..."

Leonard, the more he thought about it, the more he believed it, just like "Rosius Carlos", he was just that kind of person.

I don’t know when it started, but Luo Xiu left this impression in Leonard’s mind.

"..."

Leonard thought a lot, but he finally shook his head.

"……Ugh."

Leonard sighed, cleared his mind, and returned his attention to the task at hand.

But he still murmured unconsciously:

"I hope... this can bring true salvation to the Sina City Church."

"...I hope so."

(End of this chapter)