Master the Abyss, starting from an apprentice priest.

Chapter 592 Quesanx's King Murder

Having received the [Star of Gravel] from Mir, Luo Xiu has equipped this ancient dragon artifact.

The "cloak" fits perfectly when draped over the body. Crafted from layers of ancient dragon scales, this cloak is both sturdy and thin. To Luo Xiu, wearing it doesn't feel heavy at all; it's more like wearing a lightweight bulletproof vest.

Luo Xiu equipped the [Star of Gravel] in the same way as the [Hogmos's Armor of Holy Light], hiding it under his holy robes so that he still appeared as a solemn and dignified "archbishop," but could still activate the skill effects of the two ancient dragon equipment at crucial moments.

"We will surely win, my friend."

Before leaving Mir's camp, he said to Mir:
"The glory of victory belongs to us. This war called 'Judgment' will not last any longer."

……

Until noon.

After Luo Xiu returned from the dwarf camp above the Great Rift Valley, he went back to the church headquarters to prepare for his journey from Val Fortress to the Dark City.

According to the arrangements made at the last meeting before the end of the war, I will act alone and first head to the Dark City with the "God Hunt" Knights, Franya, Daveld, and the others.

After arranging everything, Luo Xiu summoned the "Golden Pegasus," mounted it, and arrived at the valley in front of the fortress.

Monigne, Frania, Daveld, Prandell, and Royce, several saints, came to see him off.

"Lord Luo Xiu, we will meet you at the Songyuan Expeditionary Force's encampment in front of the dark capital."

Monigne said to Luo Xiu:

"Keep in touch. I will lead the 'Godhunter' Templar Knights along the route we discussed earlier. If you encounter any unusual situations, please turn back immediately and let us know."

"Yes." Luo Xiu nodded solemnly.

Under the watchful eyes of all the saints, Luo Xiu mounted Pegasus, turned around, and his sacred beast spread its radiant golden wings and soared into the sky.

Soon, the figure of "Archbishop" Luo Xiu disappeared from the sight of the saints.

……

Beside Monigne.

Franya gazed in the direction Luo Xiu had left.

She knew that she would see Luo Xiu again in seven days. At that time, all the Saints would arrive in the Dark Capital, and all the Saints... would witness the end of this war.

"..."

Franya thought to herself.

Her gaze as she looked at Luo Xiu held an unusual...complexity. For some reason, she felt uneasy.

For her, she had said a lot to Luo Xiu before—hoping that Luo Xiu could try to follow the path that 'Alfonso Durant' had walked,' and so on.

After that, she and Luo Xiu never spoke again like they had that day. Franya didn't actually know what choice Luo Xiu would make.

She only vaguely felt some...worry and reluctance. But deeper in her heart, there was a growing premonition.

As a "saint," she naturally possesses a synesthesia similar to "divine revelation," which is why her intuition is consistently accurate.

She always felt that something big was about to happen.

That would be a momentous event that could bring down the entire 'Holy Court'...

But she didn't know the source of the crisis and could only try to find remedies from various sources in her own way. Including having Luo Xiu try to follow in the footsteps of 'Alfonso Durant' was also a way to remedy the situation.

But this premonition that always made her tremble did not diminish.

Instead, it became even stronger.

"..."

"I hope... I didn't do anything wrong..."

Franya murmured softly in a voice only she could hear.

She gazed in the direction Luo Xiu had left, staring at his back as it disappeared into the layers of clouds, and gently bit her lip.

By the time she reached her side, all the other saints had left.

She took one last look at the sky before turning around and following Monigne.

They returned to Val Fortress to make their final preparations before their official departure.

……

Riding on Pegasus.

Luo Xiu had already set off from Val Fortress and had been flying towards the dark capital for half a day.

He had already passed through the air above Val Fortress—the gateway from Fafnir territory to the heart of the Dark Duchy was now unobstructed for him.

According to the itinerary plan.

He will arrive within the borders of the Dark Capital in three to four days. Before that, he has already obtained the official location of the Pine Plains Expeditionary Force and will first go to meet up with "Knight of the Sky" Stuart and Lord Gawain.

At that time, we will encounter many new high-ranking individuals with the [Supreme], [Wisdom], and even the sixth and seventh destinies, and several sixth-destiny saints from the [Radiant] Holy Court will also arrive one after another.

For Luo Xiu, participating in the final battle of this trial war, getting to know these high-ranking individuals with the destinies of "Supreme," "Radiant," and "Intelligent," and expanding his network of connections would also be of considerable benefit.

Furthermore, Pope Lawrence will also be present. I originally intended to meet him at the Imperial Capital Holy Court, but now I can meet the Pope during the war. Perhaps I can obtain the key from Pope Lawrence before Monigne obtains the "Key of the Stars" for me, which would be even better.

"..."

Luo Xiu was thinking about these things.

However, his first priority was not to go directly to the dark capital—

That was the ultimate goal of the trip.

Before that, Luo Xiu, riding Pegasus, had already traveled to the depths of a desolate, uninhabited mountain just before nightfall.

……

In the heart of the Dark Principality, on the border of the Ameste Territory.

That was the territory ruled by the "Pillar of Darkness," Amest, and the place Luo Xiu arrived at was a desolate mountain that almost no one had set foot on.

But what is called a barren mountain is actually a huge "graveyard of bones".

That was once a terrifying behemoth that blotted out the sky during the Age of Gods, the Night Beast, named for the fact that its appearance was always accompanied by the night.

But it wasn't because it possessed some extraordinary ability to control the night; it was simply because it had a body as tall as the highest city wall, so that when it appeared before all living beings, all light could be blocked by its body.

Its species has long since become extinct on the continent of Fanor. Such a colossal creature can no longer survive in the current environment of the Apocalypse World.

Their remains transformed into mountains, stretching for thousands of miles.

At its core location—a vast, barren expanse of rock resembling volcanic ash—Luo Xiu, riding Pegasus, landed.

He recalled Pegasus.

Next, he took out the divine artifact [Divine Prison Lock] that he had brought from the "Sacred Abyss", infused it with his own spirituality, and activated the door that allowed him to enter.

The circular vortex gate appeared, and Luo Xiu stepped into it, heading deeper into the vortex. Ignoring Hastia's roar in his ear, he looked at "Quisanx".

He remained standing before Helmond, the "child of the dragon god," for a day and a night. The day before, Quesanx had told Rosh that by this time—the next day—He should be able to make a decision.

“So, Quesanx,” Rosh gazed at Him and asked softly.

"What's your decision?"

"..."

"...Helmond, He still hasn't given me a clear response."

This time, Quesanx was able to speak clearly.

Using the figure condensed by the "Mist Shadow" of the Fog Night, Quesanx said in a low voice:
“He… Helmond. He faced me like this, constantly issuing warnings and threatening roars at me. Like a wild beast.”

“Although we were indeed beasts at the beginning… but Helmond, He truly has lost even the slightest bit of… the reason He once had as an authoritarian demigod.”

"He is still a child, and his consciousness has been clouded by chaos, yet he possesses terrifying and powerful strength. He is undoubtedly dangerous now. The Devouring Dragon could put him to sleep in the past, and now you have sealed him away. But if none of these things are present... he is a walking scourge, a malignant tumor that is difficult to eradicate."

"..."

Quesanx said this.

He was saying these things to Luo Xiu, and he was also "persuading" himself with these words.

Until He turned around and faced Luo Xiu, allowing Luo Xiu to see Quesanx, who had the same "face" as him, a resolute expression appeared on His "face".

"I have made my decision."

Quesanx said:

“As you said, Luo Xiu. I will inherit the true divinity that Helmond inherited from [Authority], and become a 'Demon God'. Even if this will burden me with the name of regicide, it is the right thing to do. This is what my 'justice' compels me to do.”

"..."

Quesanx said these things.

To Luo Xiu, it seemed that Quesanx had finally made up his mind and made this decision—which was a good thing. Whether in terms of intensity or breaking free from mental constraints, this would be a significant breakthrough for Quesanx.

"I see."

Luo Xiu nodded solemnly.

"I have arrived at a remote, desolate mountain where no one will disturb me."

He said to Quesanx:

"After that, leave the illusion created by the misty night and return to your true body, Quesanx. I will release Helmond from here, and the rest is up to you."

Done.

Luo Xiu turned around and walked towards the exit.

The "phantom" behind him slowly dissipated as he left. The spiritual aura belonging to Quesanx had left the [Chains of Gods], and Luo Xiu had also reached the fog gate of the vortex, passed through the fog gate, and left the interior of the [Chains of Gods].

Until he escaped the [Divine Prison Lock].

The fog gate remained open.

He gazed at the fog gate, and after a long while, he channeled his rich spirituality into the [Divine Prison Lock] through resonance.

……

"--roar!!!!!"

The first sound came from Helmond, the "child of the dragon god," with his sharp and high-pitched cry.

It felt as if He was being repeatedly pierced by something sharp or repeatedly slashed by something razor-sharp, and He felt immense pain.

But He also felt “freedom”—as if the chains that imprisoned Him had granted Him permission to be released.

One by one, the divine chains that bound Him were unlocked, and above His head, the "sky" was pressing down, even tearing open a rift large enough for Him to fly out.

Even though Helmond is still very weak right now.

But seeing the ever-widening crack seemed to fill Him with power.

"--roar!!!!!"

He let out another sharp roar, then spread his crystal-white dragon wings, enveloped in ghostly flames, and soared into the sky.

Until He flew out of the "sky" of the divine lock.

In His eyes, He finally saw the vastness of the world again—He saw the distant, continuous mountain ranges, and also the nearby, jagged mountain shapes that were embedded in the earth like giant pillars of heaven.

The sky was dark red, which appeared to Him like fresh blood. It aroused His appetite and fueled His hunger, making Him eager to hunt and devour something.

"Roar……"

He hovered low in the sky, looking around at the sights that were all so new and exciting to him.

When He lowered His white dragon head again, His deep and chaotic eyes saw a tiny human standing on the ground.

An archbishop.

The archbishop who had once sealed himself in a strange, painful prison stood there, hands behind his back, gazing at himself.

The moment Helmond saw him, a terrifying surge of spirituality erupted from His body, along with His ghostly flames, which surged skyward. He opened His blood-red maw towards Luo Xiu, unleashing a deafening, furious roar:

"--roar!!!!!"

Driven by instinctive rage, Helmond wanted to tear that insignificant human bishop to shreds immediately.

Even though He still retains the memories of all the pain that humanity caused Him, He is now a "beast," a beast completely dominated by instinct.

He then spread his dragon wings and spewed out deep and blazing black flames from his entire body, and was about to swoop down towards Luo Xiu.

But before that—

"Roar!!!!!"

Another resounding dragon roar, deeper and more majestic than Helmond's, erupted from above Him!

Another dark shadow—even larger than Helmond's—completely enveloped the sky above Him.

Then, the black dragon head crashed down like a meteor, instantly suppressing Helmond's spirituality, while his dragon neck—its scales still immature and not yet strong—was firmly gripped by Quesanx's jaws.

A crimson light emanated in bursts, and Quesanx's dragon neck was already filled with a considerable amount of destructive energy.

Then, in the next moment.

--boom!!!!!

A terrifying explosion erupted simultaneously in Quesanx, where he was entangled with Helmond!
A scorching smell emanated from the air.

They fell at the same time.

It crashed to the ground with a tremendous, thunderous explosion.

Smoke and dust billowed up, completely engulfing their figures.

……

(End of this chapter)