Master the Abyss, starting from an apprentice priest.

Chapter 363...Ah? Dead?
In the main street of Hongfeng City, in the alley No. 36.

In a certain stronghold of the "Original Sect", "Bishop Ring of Flame" Drummond was standing with his hands behind his back. In front of him were more than 20 corpses pierced by red-hot iron rods.

Among them, the vast majority were extraordinary beings with third and fourth destinies, mixed in with a few corpses of extraordinary beings with "double destinies".

Most of them were extraordinary beings from the fate of [Kutu] and [Honglian], and there were also a few bodies of priests from [Glorious] and scholars from [Wisdom] mixed in. They were all the "cursed substitutes" that Drummond had prepared long ago.

The source of power for "Bishop Ring Flame" Drummond is the [Lost] destiny. The power of this destiny mostly comes from the gift of the pillar god "Original Mother" - and the gift of God is sometimes also a curse.

Just like Drummond.

His face was covered with erosive scars from the burns of flames. In fact, not only on his face - his body, wrapped in a dark red cloak and heavy bandages, was also covered with such scars. Those were the curse and the price he had to bear when he was granted the power of "Ring Flame".

Although he was full of piety and longing for the "Original Mother", the curse she bestowed on him often made Drummond feel miserable.

In order to alleviate the pain of such ring flame burning, Drummond also found his way -

It was a "ritual" - a ritual of succession.

What the ceremony requires are extraordinary people from different destinies, and the higher their rank, the better.

It was like firewood—firewood that burned itself instead of "Bishop Ringfire" Drummond.

And now, "Ring Flame Bishop" Drummond is about to hold his "third curse ceremony" -

"…Your Excellency the Bishop."

Behind Drummond, a low and respectful voice came:

"Already ready. Cherfried, he is willing to be 'martyred'."

"He finally agreed?"

Drummond turned his head and looked at a believer wearing a black linen cloak who was holding a candle behind him. His ferocious face trembled as he said:

"Very good, very good...Chelfrid, the Mother Goddess will remember his name."

After he said this, he turned back and looked with burning eyes at the bodies of extraordinary people in front of him that were pierced with iron rods.

He raised his arms and clasped his fists in front of his chest, nodded slightly and began to "pray":
"——I bear the thorns to atone for my sins..."

"——the burning, the thirsty, the red shackles."

"—I pray it burns."

"—I pray it breaks!"

After Drummond finished praying four sentences, he loosened his clenched fists at the same time and stretched them to both sides, returning to the embrace-like posture.

At the same time, the bodies of the extraordinary people in front of him, which were pierced by iron rods, began to burn from the edges. From the blood-stained lapels to the flesh, the air was filled with the smell of meat oil.

Drummond's body also began to burn along with the "corpse" in front of him. He frowned slightly and felt the pain in his skin.

And he could hear the light footsteps of his followers walking towards the ritual site.

There were some hurried footsteps mixed in - that should be the footsteps of the "voluntary martyr" Cherfried. He must be afraid, Drummond thought.

After all, it is facing death...

And Cherfried is the final step to complete this ceremony.

Drummond waited. The flames that burned himself had already burned into his skin. Drummond felt more and more pain, but he held on without making a sound. The believers and "Cherfried" were getting closer and closer.

……

Until those footsteps disappeared at the same moment.

Drummond turned around, wanting to see the "martyr" and give him a death hug - both a comfort and a necessary step in the ceremony.

But the moment he turned around, Drummond's eyes suddenly widened.

He didn't see "Cherfried"!
What he saw was the black-robed believer and the dozen or so clergymen of the church who were holding him up!

——The clergy of the Church!

How did they find this place?

A huge doubt has arisen in Drummond's heart.

What's even more terrifying is that although Drummond's own perception was greatly disturbed and weakened during the ceremony, he still couldn't sense the breath of these priests, as if they suddenly appeared here!
This gradually gave Drummond a bad feeling.

His eyes fell forward and finally locked onto the person in the middle.

The spiritual surge was so extraordinary that it gave Drummond a vague sense of fear...

Until the corner of the "priest"'s mouth slightly raised, his hands raised at the same time, lifted the pure white hood, revealing his true face -

"Bishop Ring of Flame" Drummond's expression froze for a moment, and veins popped out on his forehead.

——That’s the “bishop” of the Red Maple City Church! Ross Carlos!
——He actually came in person!
……

Among the clergy of the Church.

The black-robed believer who was supposed to find "Cherfried" and bring him back was captured by the clergy on the way.

At this moment, he seemed to be trembling all over and afraid - extremely afraid of something.

"Lord...Mr. Bishop..."

The voice under the black robe trembled and made intermittent sounds:
"They...taught...them..."

--boom! ! !

Howard, the "Priest of the Holy Inquisition" and "Patriarch of Purification", raised the long-handled war hammer high in his hand and smashed it down on the head of the black-robed believer!

A huge noise suddenly occurred, and golden light splashed up along with blood. The black-robed believer was flattened like a pancake, his chin hit the ground, and his skull was smashed to pieces.

He died on the spot, without even the chance to let out a scream - a curse flame mage with a [Lost] triple destiny was smashed to death by a single hammer from "The Patriarch of Purification" Howard!
Watching this scene happening before his eyes, "Bishop Ring of Flame" Drummond did not move. On the contrary, except for the inevitable surprise he showed when he first saw it, he had now regained his composure.

“…They are guests from the church.”

Drummond's gaze fell directly on the leader opposite him, the "bishop" of the church, Ross Carlos.

"I shouldn't have offended you..." He looked at Luo Xiu and said in a low voice, "Go back. There's no need for us to fight to the death..."

"really?"

There was a playful expression on Luo Xiu's face.

While talking to the Ring Flame Bishop Drummond, Luo Xiu's eyes had already passed him and looked at the corpse behind him.

"'Illuminating Knight' Sailan, 'Holy Priest' Rudol, 'Consecrated Priest' Radil... They disappeared a few days ago. It turns out they are here with you."

These three clergymen are all judges of the church’s “Holy Court of Judgement”.

The disappearance and sacrifice of the Inquisitor is a common occurrence for the Church.

However, it is relatively rare that even the body is not found. In the eyes of all the clergy behind Luo Xiu, the behavior of "Bishop Ring Flame" Drummond is tantamount to the most serious blasphemy.

Anger was already welling up in the hearts of the clergy, especially Howard, the "priest" of the Holy Tribunal. The look he gave to "Bishop Ring of Flame" Drummond was almost spitting fire.

"so you--"

There was still contempt in Luo Xiu's eyes. He looked at Drummond, whose expression was changing constantly, and was about to continue speaking.

But the next moment, Drummond suddenly raised his hand to him!

——BOOM!!! Two pillars of scarlet fire burst out from Drummond’s sleeves!

They all rushed towards Luo Xiu, and the temperature in the enclosed space rose rapidly!
He didn't even wait for Luo Xiu to finish his words!
When Drummond heard Carlos Ross, the "bishop" of the church, say the names of the three missing clergymen, he knew that today would be a life-and-death situation!
He had been waiting for the aftermath of the first wave of "curse" on himself to subside slightly, and at the same time he was accumulating strength to be poured into this attack at this moment -

But the moment Drummond sparked a column of scarlet fire.

Drummond only saw.

The bishop of the church in front of him, the "Roxiu Carlos", had dozens of golden discs with a diameter of about one meter appearing around him at the same time. Those discs completely covered Luo Xiu's figure and completely absorbed the flames that he blasted at him!
Then, the color of the dozen or so golden discs suddenly changed - from gold to dark scarlet. The rich spiritual energy surged, making Drummond feel frightened.

--boom!!!!!

In a flash, the scarlet light burst out towards Drummond!

——"Return of divine glory"!
The flames that were shot towards Drummond were the same flames that he had previously shot towards Luo Xiu!

Drummond was engulfed by his own flames in an instant, and in the scarlet burning, Luo Xiu could faintly hear the wailing from the "Bishop of Ring Flame".

I'm waiting for the pre-roll, what are you waiting for...

Looking at the figure that was constantly trembling and twisting in the flames, Luo Xiu raised his right arm at the same time, and the scepter in his hand [Holy Grip] emitted a golden light, releasing several holy arts that had previously completed the Sanskrit prayer!

The brilliant light spread out in all directions with Luo Xiu as the center. Multiple sacred realms had descended. When the "Ring Flame Bishop" Drummond was being burned, the ethereal sound of hymns was already echoing in the closed space.

At the same time, Luo Xiu has also completed the summoning of the "holy beast" -

"Holy Flame Wolf King" Fenrir, "Burning Feather Raven" Wu Ye, and "Golden Pegasus" Pegasus arrived at the same time. They occupied three points around Drummond respectively, and together with Luo Xiu, blocked Drummond's retreat from four directions.

Behind Luo Xiu, "Pastor of Purification" Howard and other clergymen had received Luo Xiu's orders before entering this stronghold.

When "Bishop Ring of Flame" Drummond was suppressed, they immediately scattered and entered the hidden corridors around the stronghold to impose holy judgment on the "Lost" believers who intended to escape.

And they did so - Howard had led the Inquisitors to bypass the sea of ​​fire that was burning Drummond, and a dozen Inquisitors with the "Triple Fate" had divided into two teams and went deep into the two corridors.

“Ugh…Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

In the blazing sea of ​​fire, Drummond's groans could still be heard.

He knew what the priests outside the Sea of ​​Fire wanted to do, but he was powerless to stop them.

His current condition was not simply the result of the backlash of his own scarlet fire, but rather the result of another attack of the "curse" bestowed by the "Original Mother". The abnormalities at both ends were mixed together, causing Drummond's spirituality to be on the verge of being out of control.

……

Outside the sea of ​​fire.

Luo Xiu, who had completed the deployment of several sacred areas and summoned all the "holy beasts", looked through the flames and mist and saw Drummond's body peeling off layer by layer like charcoal.

It was a perfect opportunity to invade the stronghold and bring down Holy Judgment on Bishop Drummond of the Ring of Flame.

As Luo Xiu was thinking, he continued to pray in Sanskrit and quickly completed the chanting of the next few sacred arts.

Until the scarlet flames burning in front of him gradually dissipated.

After the fire, the "Ring Flame Bishop" Drummond finally reappeared -

His clothes were torn off, and his charred body was no longer clear whether it was flesh or cloth, but it didn't matter anymore.

His eyes had turned completely scarlet, flashing with madness. The fire rings around his neck, waist, wrists, and ankles were now extremely bright in color.

"Rosius Carlos!!!"

With the only rational eyes left in Drummond, he looked at the "bishop" in front of him who was still clean, and let out a ferocious roar filled with anger and despair!
But Luo Xiu did not respond to him.

He just watched Drummond roaring ferociously, and at the same time raised his still burning withered arms high, as if he was praying some kind of prayer.

"Ring Flame Bishop" Drummond, he still wants to fight back!

Luo Xiu had already anticipated the current situation.

Just when Drummond began to pray and some strange light seemed to burst out from his palms and eyes, a bright light suddenly flashed in Luo Xiu's golden pupils!
That line of sight went straight through the flames, through Drummond's body, and directly peeked into Drummond's "soul"!
——[The Soul-Captivating Holy Eyes]!
——Buzz!!!

In the enclosed space, clear and audible sounds were heard by Luo Xiu and Drummond at the same time.

That is the effect of the [Soul-Captivating Holy Eyes] on the soul.

At the same time, the judgment of the three attributes of "divinity", "perception" and "resistance" of Luo Xiu and Drummond was also carried out quickly in this exchange of sounds.

Until the ringing in Luo Xiu's ears completely stopped, the ringing in Drummond's ears quickly turned into a shriek that almost pierced through the eardrum!
——"Bishop Ring of Flame" Drummond, his "divinity", "perception" and "resistance", these three attributes are all lower than Luo Xiu!
Buzz! ! ! ! !
In an instant, the secret prayer that Drummond was about to perform was forcibly terminated by some irresistible force.

It was like a pair of huge hands were squeezing his throat tightly, and he was powerless to resist.

Drummond had no idea what was going on.

He only saw that the "Bishop" Ross Carlos opposite him had raised the scepter in his hand again.

He heard the sound of a bell ringing above his head. The edge of his vision was occupied by a dazzling golden light. The space was torn apart, and a golden meteorite was falling with a roar.

boom! ! ! ! !
next moment.

The body and consciousness of "Bishop Ring of Flame" Drummond were engulfed in the endless sea of ​​holy light.

……

Red Maple City Church, a place for preaching.

In the Holy Storage Hall, under the leadership of the clergyman Vidrian, Thomas and other "Church Patrol" players were selecting extraordinary weapons in the outer storage room.

The first moment you enter here.

Thomas's eyes were instantly attracted by the dazzling array of weapons, and he was struggling to decide what to choose.

His panel suddenly jumped, and new content appeared in the [Task Panel]—

That is a reminder that a task has been completed.

[Completed the commissioned task: Encounter with the Ring Flame Bishop! (Normal Difficulty)]

["Bishop Ring of Flame" Drummond has been sanctioned. The information you provided to your "Bishop" Ross Carlos was really useful.

The church is safe now, and there is no need to worry about the threat from "Bishop of Ring Flame" Drummond. Although you did not personally carry out the "Holy Judgment" operation, you still made an indelible contribution. 】

[The task is being settled...]

[Completion reward: Basic experience +5000, free attribute points +3, Luo Xiu Carlos's favorability +10%]

【…】

"……what?"

"Bishop Ringfire" Drummond is dead...

The [Lost] Bishop whose single attack could reach nearly six figures... just died like that?

Is he really...really dead?
"..."

Thomas looked at the panel in disbelief.

The expression on his face was as if frozen, and he was speechless for a long time.

……

(End of this chapter)