Master the Abyss, starting from an apprentice priest.

Chapter 561 Re-entering the Bottom of the Blood Cave

"As you command, Archbishop."

Elias responded respectfully to Luo Xiu, then turned and led Luo Xiu into the city of Fafnir.

Luo Xiu followed behind Elias, his gaze then shifting to both sides, where he saw the "Golden Sword Saint" Klein, who had previously retreated, and the "Crimson General" Wood, who were also observing him from a distance.

Sensing that he was about to enter Fafnir, the Crimson General seemed to bid farewell to the "Golden Sword Saint" and then mounted his armored warhorse, spurring it into the city.

Luo Xiu observed Wood's movements and knew that he was probably going to go into the city to report. At this time, there was another [Supreme] general stationed in Fafnir City with him, the second seat of the "Round Table", Adun Sorens. He was the current commander of the garrison in Fafnir City, and his rank and power were above Wood's.

As for Klein Fesera, the "Golden Sword Saint" of the Fesera family, he continued to lead his Golden Army on patrol missions outside Fafnir and at the edge of the "Devouring Dragon" sealed forbidden zone.

……

Fafnir.

Luo Xiu and Elias then entered the city of Fafnir.

They traveled without hindrance. Because Luo Xiu's identity was known to everyone in the Fafnir garrison, no guards questioned them. All the people Luo Xiu encountered along the way bowed to him with the utmost respect.

What was also frequently seen in Fafnir was the hordes of "Descendants"—before setting off from Fafnir to Val Fortress, many players chose to stay in Fafnir to carry out various patrol, construction, and raiding missions assigned by the "Round Table".

In the previous life, the "player's main city" on the front line of the Judgment War was Red Maple City, but now it seems to have changed quite significantly. Although Red Maple City is still the most densely populated major city for the "descendants" in Pine Plains Territory, Fafnir City's player density is comparable to Red Maple City's, and even shows a slight trend of surpassing it.

Because this place is located in the heart of Fafnir territory and even the entire Principality of Darkness, with the war situation now pretty clear, it is actually possible to take on more rewarding missions in Fafnir City.

Just like the recent "Dragon Devouring" campaign, in addition to the "God Hunter" Templar Knights of [Radiance], many players on the outskirts, led by the "Golden Sword Saint" Klein, accepted the mission to clear out the Abyss Beasts emerging from the "Scars".

Most of the players active in Fafnir City had actually experienced the Battle of Latama City not long ago.

The scale of the Abyss Beasts that have emerged now is, in the players' eyes, similar to the scale of the "scars" that once plagued the city of Latama. In fact, with the presence of several heavyweight powerhouses such as "Supreme Sword" Monine, "Ancient Dragon Bishop" Luo Xiu, and "Saintess" Franya, the actual threat posed by the Abyss Beasts to the players is much smaller.

It was also because of the participation of these "descenders" that no abyssal beasts or demons ultimately surged out of the battlefield from their wounds.

As Luo Xiu walked along the main street of Fafnir City, he immediately felt many intense gazes from other players also walking along the main street. Soon, the [Player Forum] and [Chat Channel] were flooded with messages about him.

【You are a sweet and soft girl】: Holy crap, Bishop!
[Hamon]: The bishop has entered the city! .jpg
[Hamon]: Coordinates: Bloodskull Tavern, auxiliary road of Acropolis Street, East District, Fafnir City... Oh, I've passed by it, now I'm in front of the Black Iron Forge... Oh, I've passed by it again.

[Hamon]: The bishop has disappeared!
[Loyalty! Faith! Honesty!]: Loyalty! Honesty!
[Lord! Be Faithful!]: So, is there a mission? Did the bishop issue any missions?
[After the rain]: Hmm hmm ahhhhhh
[After the rain]: Damn, staying in Fafnir really made us rich, brothers. I never thought I'd see the bishop again!

[Monkey]: I was just about to talk to the bishop, but he and another Radiant Knight walked too fast and I couldn't keep up. So sad.
[Monkey]: That Devouring Dragon outside the city just now, holy crap, ahhhhhh!

【I am the Saintess's Gou!!】: If you were a dragon, that would be fine too.
[……]: ……

Players are generating a lot of buzz about their return to Fafnir.

While quickly browsing the player information near "Fafner City", Luo Xiu thought to himself, and after smiling and greeting the players he met, he quickened his pace.

Besides these players...

Apart from a few squads of royal guards patrolling the streets, Luo Xiu did not see any of the "Supreme" individuals above the "Throne Knight" rank.

The previous "Crimson General" Wood Gates never appeared again after entering the city, and General Adun Sorens should have received news of his entry into the city, but he did not come to greet him.

There is also a "Lionheart General" Pampas, who is an "Apostle of the Holy Abyss." Luo Xiu knows what he is doing—he is leading his warriors to work with the saints of the [Radiant] Holy Court outside the city to blockade it, and he is not currently in Fafnir City.

Luo Xiu and Elias proceeded smoothly until they arrived at the base of a square well.

In Luo Xiu's memory.

That was the "Bottom of the Blood Cave," where the "Lord of Blood Sacrifice" once hid, and one of its many entrances—

...Fafnir Ramzanx, the "Devourer Dragon," hid his dead dragon cocoon at the bottom of the Blood Cave.
Luo Xiu was thinking to himself, when Elias turned around and respectfully said to Luo Xiu:

"This is it, Archbishop."

“Beneath Fafnir lies a vast and complex blood cave. I took a blood sample and its spiritual essence from the ‘Dead Dragon Cocoon’ at Val Fortress, and through its guiding and resonant responses, I roughly confirmed the location of this ‘Dead Dragon Cocoon’ beneath Fafnir.”

"...It was actually enclosed by a secluded underground river, the entrance being a thick, colorless curtain of water. If it weren't for the resonance of that strange spiritual energy, I would never have imagined that finding this 'dead dragon's cocoon' would require passing through several such curtains of water..."

"..."

"I understand." Luo Xiu nodded slightly.

This 'dead dragon cocoon' was indeed hidden at the bottom of the Blood Cave by the devoured dragon.

Reaching its true hiding place, according to Elias's description, is not easy. When they went deep into the Blood Cave and killed the Blood Sacrifice Lord, they did not find the place where the cocoon was hidden through a thorough search.

"I'll go in first, Archbishop."

Elias said, "Please stay close to me."

"Hmm." Luo Xiu nodded slightly again.

After a brief exchange, Luo Xiu and Elias said nothing more. The Radiant Knight then leaped into the well, and Luo Xiu followed closely behind.

The view suddenly went dark, and a strong smell of blood surged upwards from below.

This feeling was the same as when Luo Xiu descended to the bottom of the Blood Cave the last time. Only this time, this place was a breeding ground and gathering place for filth, and the original only master, the true controller—the 'Lord of Blood Sacrifice'—had long since turned to ashes.

Indeed, there are still many criminals, remnants of the Dark Army, or cultists in Fafnir who have chosen to move their strongholds to the bottom of this blood pit after the death of the "Lord of Blood Sacrifice".

The Blood Cavern is quite large and its structure is indeed very complex, enough to accommodate so many sins and shadows with different forces and purposes.

However, the people currently hiding at the bottom of the Blood Cave who cannot see the light of day are at most at the fourth level of destiny, and none of them have even reached the fifth level of destiny.

These people posed no threat to Luo Xiu in his current state. In fact, when Luo Xiu and "Radiant Knight" Elias ventured deep into the Blood Cave, they could sense the faint, sparse spiritual energy around them rapidly retreating.

These shadowy figures in the Blood Cave are now avoiding Luo Xiu and Elias like the plague, who suddenly appeared at the bottom of the Blood Cave without warning.

Their arrival struck like a thunderbolt at the shadows lurking at the bottom of the Blood Cave, causing waves of panic to surge.

But Luo Xiu was too lazy to deal with them now. He simply followed Elias deeper into the Blood Cave, leaving the still trembling spiritual surging behind.

They trod across piles of skeletal remains, waded through rivers of blood that reeked of intense stench, and meandered through countless dark and cramped corridors, finally arriving before the overlapping curtain of water that Elias had described.

What appeared in Luo Xiu's field of vision was indeed as Elias had said: a thick curtain of water, almost pure black, blocking out all light. He could vaguely see behind it a smooth, but painted, giant rock face with grotesque totem patterns.

If one hadn't come specifically for the cocoon of the dead dragon's embryo where the "Devouring Dragon" was hiding, it would be hard to imagine that there was such a large space behind that black water curtain.

……

"This is it, Archbishop."

Elias turned to Luo Xiu and respectfully said:

“We are not far from that filthy and blasphemous cocoon. Archbishop, from here, through that continuous curtain of water, we will reach the location of the blasphemous altar and the demonic cocoon.”

"During the process of passing through the water curtain, you may see some blurry illusions, and... hear some noisy sounds. I guess that is the influence of the profound spiritual beings attached to the water curtain."

"Please be careful."

"..."

"Ah."

Luo Xiu nodded.

As Elias recounted these things to him, Luo Xiu once again felt a certain longing welling up from within him, subconsciously.

It was the same feeling I had when I first heard Elias, the "Radiant Knight," mention the [Dead Dragon Cocoon] outside Fafnir.

In fact, Luo Xiu had already sensed something was amiss at the time, but now that this desire was surging up again deep within him, it truly alerted him.

He remained outwardly calm and gentle, merely gazing at Elias, who seemed oblivious, nodding and smiling as he said:

"Ah."

“Then let’s go through, Elias.”

"..."

Elias nodded in response.

A solemn and wary expression appeared on his face. He mobilized the spirituality of [Radiance] to protect himself and plunged headfirst into the water curtain.

Until his figure was completely submerged, Luo Xiu had completed several holy spell prayers. He held the scepter [Divine Grip] in his right hand and then pointed it at the water curtain blocking his path—

“Proclaim it in the name of holiness, and let its illusion fade away.”

"..."

hum-

A trembling sound came from the air.

Then, the flowing water curtain stopped as if frozen, and the blackness within it emitted a hissing sound like burning, transforming into a profound spirituality that dissipated into the surrounding air.

The overlapping water curtain disappeared, along with the rock surface behind it engraved with ferocious totems and patterns, fading away to reveal a passageway leading deeper into the area.

Also appearing in Luo Xiu's field of vision was the "Radiant Knight" Elias Lotharor, his back view.

His forward movements remained cautious and slow, his shoulders hunched over in a habitual state of alertness and vigilance, as if he were still under some kind of illusory influence.

Luo Xiu's holy magic, combined with the effects of his specialty "Disillusionment of the Spirit," meant that he was minimally affected by this illusion-like spell. Dispelling the illusion affecting himself was relatively easy for him, but it didn't affect Elias's side.

However, the illusions and whispers cast beforehand clearly could not truly shake the Radiant Knight before him.

Under Luo Xiu's watchful gaze, he and Elias traversed a not-so-long but rugged passageway and arrived at a huge room about a hundred meters long and wide.

This place is clearly where some kind of ceremony is being held.

The walls are inscribed with dense, twisted, and grotesque seal script, imbued with a profound spirituality; boiling blood flows in concentric loops within interconnected underground channels, originating from the same source and flowing to the same destination—

That is the Bloodstained Altar, enshrined in the center, forged entirely from bones and obsidian.

On the altar was the same dragon corpse as in Val Fortress—dead but not yet decayed!
The dragon carcass beneath Val Fortress was even larger, and the profound spiritual energy contained within it was much more intense.

The surrounding area was littered with corpses, including those of the Black Army's "Black Fangs," "Fangs," and even "Executioners"—all sacrifices. The corpses were mangled beyond recognition, and dark shadows writhed within the broken parts.

Swallow.

The damp, cold, and eerie feeling that permeated the entire giant room was indeed the same spiritual aura as the "Devouring Dragon"!
And when Luo Xiu saw the cocoon of the dead dragon placed on the blood sacrifice altar.

His intense desire to go to the dead dragon surged up once again.

Luo Xiu then stopped and looked at Elias.

"Back off."

He said to Elias—

“And stay away from me, at least ten steps... no, twenty steps, Elias.”

Elias turned around and paused for a moment.

This was the first time Elias had ever seen the "Archbishop" Rosius Carlos with such a solemn expression during their journey together!

Without asking any further questions, Elias did as Luo Xiu instructed, retreating step by step to a position about twenty paces away from Luo Xiu.

Luo Xiu raised his right hand and lightly pressed his fingers to his forehead.

A holy light emanated from the back of his hand, and at the same time, he uttered a sacred prayer—

"Baptize me."

—That is the holy prayer of the "divine seal"!