Master the Abyss, starting from an apprentice priest.

Chapter 567 Explosion! Blast! (5k2)

It's almost evening.

After Luo Xiu finished dealing with the remaining church affairs, he went with "Radiant Knight" Lu Duo to meet with Daveld.

According to Ludo, "Heavenly Ring Paladin" Daveld, along with two other "Sun Knights" Prandell and Royce, seemed to be recuperating in the courtyard of the manor where "Supreme Sword" Monigne and "Saintess" Franya were recovering from their injuries.

Monine and Franya were still unconscious, so the three Sun Knights stayed temporarily in the courtyard of their manor while waiting for them.

When Luo Xiu finally met Daveld, Prandell, and Royce, it was already evening.

"You've arrived, Luo Xiu."

On the stone-inlaid bench in the manor, Daveld and Prandell sat side by side, while Prandell, another vice-captain of the "God Hunters," leaned against the wall, his hands lightly resting on the holy sword that was embedded in the soil.

Daveld immediately glanced at Luo Xiu and offered his greeting:
"Judging from your condition, you don't seem to be greatly affected by the previous battle, Luo Xiu."

"But Lord Monigne and Princess Frania are still unconscious, so we are waiting for you here."

"Greetings to you as well, Your Excellency Daveld."

"..."

A smile appeared on Luo Xiu's face as he responded gently to Daveld's greeting and said:
“Your paladin, Rudol, has told me that a row of ‘silver figures’ has appeared on the battlefield ruins of Dragonbone Plains outside Fafnir City.”

“I think… those must be the apostles of [Balance]. Their appearance should be related to the 'Devouring Dragon,' but they haven’t made any new moves, which means our actions are still within the [Balance] framework.”

"..."

"That's right, Luo Xiu."

Daveld nodded.

When the topic turned to the Apocalyptic Apostles of "Balance," a hint of worry appeared on his face. At Daveld's level, he often heard that these Apostles of "Balance" were indeed quite troublesome.

The matter of the [Balance] Apocalyptic Apostle who appeared outside the city was not discussed much during this meeting. Then, Luo Xiu looked at Daveld's side, then at the two Sun Knights, "God Hunter" Prandell and Royce, and extended the same greeting to them.

Prandell and Reus responded to Rosh's greeting, and then Daveld said:
“I have gained one of my 'Radiant Knights'—a message from Elias.”

“That was the first Radiant Knight I sent to Fafnir. He said that he had indeed found traces of another ‘Dead Dragon Embryo Cocoon’ in the ‘Bottom of the Blood Cave’ beneath Fafnir, which once belonged to the ‘Lord of Blood Sacrifice’.”

"..."

"Ah."

Luo Xiu nodded slightly.

He knew that Daveld must have already received the news and would definitely go down to the bottom of the Blood Cave to check the situation himself.

So he went on to say:

“Elijas had already approached me at the time and mentioned this matter to me. I have gone down to the bottom of the Blood Cave and seen that the cocoon of the dead dragon was placed on a blood-profaning altar, and I have already sealed it.”

“Elijas is also guarding the entrance to the bottom of the Blood Cave. Lord Daveld, Lord Prandell, Lord Royce, now we can see for ourselves the condition of that ‘Dead Dragon Embryo Cocoon’.”

“Okay.” Daveld nodded.

The three Sun Knights then left, and after giving instructions to Ludo, the "Radiant Knight" who had guided Luo Xiu there, Daveld left Ludo to guard the manor. Daveld, Prandell, and Royce then went with Luo Xiu to the bottom of the Blood Cave where the "Dead Dragon Embryo Cocoon" was hidden.

……

Outside the Blood Cave in Fafnir.

When Luo Xiu and several other Sun Knights, including Daveld, arrived at the entrance to the Blood Cave on the ground—before the square well—Elijas, the "Radiant Knight," was still stationed there.

When Elias saw Daveld and Rosh, he immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the six Saints of the Sixth Destiny.

Elias then recounted to Daveld, Prandell, and Royce the process of Elias discovering the 'dead dragon cocoon' underground, which he had previously told Luo Xiu.

Elias also explained to Daveld the story of how "Archbishop" Rosh Carlos was possessed by a phantom that appeared to be the "Devourer Dragon," how the Archbishop purified the phantom, and how the Archbishop finally sealed the dead dragon cocoon with several radiant gold barriers.

"..."

Upon hearing the mention of the "Dragon Devourer," the expressions on the faces of the Sun Knights, Daveld, Prandell, and Royce, all changed drastically.

Clearly, even though the "Holy Sword" Monine had sealed the "Devourer Dragon" Fafnir Ramsanks with the Pillar of Divine Punishment, the Sun Knights still felt a lingering fear when they heard about the remnants of Him.

Luo Xiu was also observing their reactions.

Perhaps the "Devouring Dragon" was indeed powerful to him, but the sense of oppression it brought wasn't actually that intense.

But this might not be the case for Daveld, Prandel, and Reus.

Even though they are at the same level as him, the "sixth level of destiny," there is indeed a significant gap between them in terms of actual strength.

It's normal for them to feel fear... and besides, if the "Devouring Dragon" had chosen to possess one of the three "Sun Knights" in front of them instead of themselves,

They might not discover the clues so easily, and perhaps the "Devouring Dragon" will successfully activate or possess the "Child of the Dragon God," Helmond.

"..."

These thoughts were subconsciously running through Luo Xiu's mind.

While he was pondering, Daveld, Prandell, and Royce exchanged intelligence with Elias, the "Radiant Knight" who had been stationed there.

"Thank you for your hard work, Elias."

Daveld encouraged Elias, saying:
“Once our mission in Fafnir is over, I will promote you, Elias.”

"Your discovery of Fafnir with Pacio was crucial to the success of our operation, even though Pacio... he has already sacrificed himself. But you are still alive, Elias. Both I and the 'Holy Court' will bestow upon you the holy gifts and honors you deserve."

"..."

As Daveld was saying these things, Luo Xiu noticed that Elias's eyes seemed to be getting a little moist.

What Daveld said was truly from the bottom of his heart. The saints of [Radiance], in fact, often didn't have that much pretense. Elias then offered Daveld a sacred salute with utmost piety and reverence, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke:

"Thank you for your comfort, Lord Daveld."

“I know what my mission is. As a ‘Radiant Knight’ of the [Radiance], both Pacio and I are ready to die for the sacred path.”

“Passio simply received the final guidance of the Great Sun Moment earlier than I did… He went to the ‘Eternal Kingdom’ earlier than I did and received His sublime baptism.”

“I am not afraid of death, and I am ready to accept it at any time. Therefore, my piety will not change, whether in the past, present or future. I will always be the most loyal paladin who follows the Glory.”

"..."

“We are all like that, Elias.”

This time, it was Daveld who spoke.

His expression was now filled with solemnity, reverence, and holiness. He gently patted Elias on the shoulder and said:
“We will all witness the ‘final stage’ sooner or later. And I did not misjudge you, Elias. You are a saint who makes me and the ‘Holy Court’ proud, and who is worthy of our complete trust and entrustment.”

"Now, then."

Daveld paused, glancing slightly at the two Sun Knights beside him and then at "Archbishop" Rosh Carlos. After all the other "Sixfold Fate" Saints who were traveling with him nodded in acknowledgment, he said:
“Take us down here, Elias. We will go with you to the bottom of this ‘Bottom of the Blood Cave’ to see and investigate for ourselves the ‘Dead Dragon Cocoon’ of the ‘Devouring Dragon’.”

“Okay.” Elias nodded solemnly.

Then, under Luo Xiu's gaze, the Radiant Knight turned around and ventured deeper into the square well.

Along the way, Luo Xiu saw many corpses lying on both sides in various contorted positions. These were the remnants of the Dark Army and the heretics that he and Elias had casually wiped out when they returned to the surface from the depths.

These corpses remain uncollected to this day—the shadowy figures lurking at the bottom of the Blood Cave have likely been terrified by his and Elias's initial attack. And the group that has now ventured deeper into the Blood Cave is even more terrifying than the previous group consisting only of himself and Elias.
Those heretics who were lucky enough to survive, along with the remnants of the Dark Army and criminals, all fled far away to other blood-soaked places. In Luo Xiu's extended perception, there was not a single living remnant of the Dark Army or heretic within a radius of nearly 500 meters.

Daveld, Prandell, and Royce, the "Sun Knights," followed closely behind Elias, while Luo Xiu brought up the rear. The five saints thus traversed the twisted passageway, reached the illusory black water curtain, passed through it, and finally arrived at the giant chamber where the Bloodstained Altar was located.

Everyone immediately noticed the multiple layers of radiant gold seal placed by "Archbishop" Rosh Carlos.

At the center of the sealing barrier, where golden light flowed, was the blood-profaning altar, built entirely of bones and flesh, and on the altar was the "Dead Dragon Embryo Cocoon," emanating a dark and profound spiritual aura.

The first thing Luo Xiu saw when he entered this familiar giant room was the cocoon of a dead dragon embryo.

It was covered with a large amount of "Dark Erosion" spirituality—which belonged to "Eye of Lunar Eclipse," Mist Night. He could clearly tell that this was a disguise, but he didn't know whether Daveld, Prandell, and Royce could see through it.

Although confident in the concealment capabilities of the "Eye of the Lunar Eclipse" in the foggy night, Luo Xiu wasn't reckless. He knew that the foggy night's disguise couldn't last forever, and therefore, he was already preparing to do something about it—

Then he saw Elias, who had led everyone here, stop and turn around.

"This is it, Lord Daveld, Lord Prandall, and Lord Royce."

Elias said:

"...As you can see, at the very center of the golden barrier set up by Archbishop Rosh Carlos, there is the 'Blood-Desecrating Altar' and on it is the 'Dead Dragon Embryo Cocoon' of the Devouring Dragon."

"However... because of what happened to the Archbishop before, the adults who fought against Him in the innermost area should 'purify' themselves to prevent the Devouring Dragon from infiltrating here in the same way."

"..."

Daveld, Prandell, and Royce, the three Sun Knights, exchanged glances.

All three of them held the authority of the "Divine Proclamation Seal," so Daveld nodded first, raised his right hand, and gently pressed it to his forehead.

A bright golden light began to float on the back of his hand, growing brighter and more intense with his heavy prayer, and the ethereal form of an archangel had already materialized behind him.

Until the moment his prayer was completed.

"—You will be baptized!"

The archangel who appeared behind Daveld shook the holy bell He held, and Daveld was immediately enveloped in a pure and dazzling radiance.

Some dark, cold, deep spiritual energy was drawn from Daveld. It was a slight erosion he had suffered during the holy war, which was purified in this "divine invocation".

Prandell and Reus repeated the same actions as Daveld.

When Luo Xiu descended to the bottom of the Blood Cave last time, he had already cast the "Divine Invocation Seal" on himself in front of Elias. Therefore, only he and Elias did not take any other action, but simply waited for Daveld, Prandell, and Royce to complete their purification.

At the same time, Luo Xiu has given Wu Ye new instructions—

As Daveld and his companions were purifying themselves with the "Divine Seal," the surface of the cocoon of the dead dragon embryo, which was inside the barrier, suddenly began to tremble and writhe violently.

A dark, deep purple, eerie spiritual energy emerged like smoke, and Luo Xiu's pupils contracted slightly, a look of surprise appearing on his face as he pointed in that direction—

"My golden barrier is being subjected to an expanding impact from within."

He spoke.

Elias turned his head and looked at the 'dead dragon cocoon' the moment Luo Xiu spoke the warning.

In fact, he had felt a similar tremor and disturbance emanating from the cocoon of the dead dragon's embryo even earlier. But this time, the abnormal reaction was particularly strong!
It was as if that cocoon of the dead dragon fetus had been "ignited" and could explode at any moment!
Meanwhile, Daveld, Prandell, and Royce had completed their purification through the "divine seal."

They had also witnessed the anomaly originating from the cocoon of the dead dragon within several golden barriers.

The enormous, exposed dragon heart began to pound wildly, each pump spewing out an extremely dense black mist, emanating an incredibly intense, chilling, and piercing dark spiritual energy.

But in the eyes of Daveld, Prandel, and Reus.

They both noticed that "Archbishop" Rosius Carlos had a very wary expression on his face.

In Luo Xiu's right hand, he had already grasped his scepter, the Divine Grip, and as the cocoon of the dead dragon gradually became disordered and its aura became violent, he constructed more radiant golden barriers around it.

Until at least ten layers of radiant gold barrier isolated the cocoon of the dead dragon embryo—

Then, everyone clearly and fully felt that the surrounding temperature was rising rapidly, and the cocoon of the dead dragon fetus was expanding rapidly in front of the naked eye!

--boom!!!!!!!

Until the expansion of that dark, corrosive spirituality seemed to have finally reached a certain critical point, ultimately bursting the cocoon of the dead dragon embryo, turning the area within the barrier into a deep, burning sea!

"..."

"It...exploded?"

Daveld stared at the scene before him, somewhat dumbfounded.

“It exploded.” Prandell nodded.

“…It’s blown up,” Royce echoed.

Daveld looked at Rosh and then at Elias's expressions; neither of them seemed to have expected this to happen.

If Luo Xiu hadn't placed the Radiant Gold Barrier beforehand to seal off that terrifying Dark Erosion Explosion, it would have instantly engulfed the entire giant chamber.

While it posed no obvious threat to the "sixth destiny" saints, at most causing them mild erosion and injury, for Elias—who might die—such an impact and erosion would be enough to take the life of a "fiveth destiny" saint.

"..."

"……cough."

As Daveld's face showed shock and he was pondering these things, he heard the "Archbishop" Rosius Carlos cough.

Daveld then turned to look and saw that Luo Xiu's face had turned somewhat pale, clearly indicating that he had suffered a significant internal shock.

The damage to all the golden barriers he had set up would undoubtedly affect Luo Xiu's primordial spirituality. The earlier explosion of the "Dead Dragon Cocoon" seemed to have directly shattered three golden barriers; Daveld could imagine that Luo Xiu was currently in considerable distress.

"..."

"...It's the 'Devouring Dragon'...I think it didn't give up after being sealed away, and when many of us gathered here, it detonated this cocoon of a dead dragon."

Luo Xiu said in a weak voice.

Daveld wholeheartedly agreed. He gazed at the deep abyss still churning within the overlapping, radiant golden barrier, and at the cocoon of the dead dragon embryo, now tattered from the previous terrifying explosion, which was faintly visible within it. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that Luo Xiu was right.

"...It is something He is capable of doing."

Daveld agreed wholeheartedly.

Prandell and Royce agreed, and the three Sun Knights then mobilized their spirituality to work with Luo Xiu to reinforce the golden barrier that sealed the dead dragon's cocoon.

Until the deep flames within gradually diminished.

The "dead dragon cocoon" that reappeared before them had become shriveled and broken.

The charred and nearly half-burnt dragon was in the same state of damage as the one on the "Sacred Abyss".

It is even more broken; although a considerable amount of its spirituality remains, it can no longer be restored to its original state.

Destroy the evidence! .jpg
It was achieved perfectly.

……

(End of this chapter)