Master the Abyss, starting from an apprentice priest.

Chapter 657 The Conferment Ceremony (5k)

—Waaah! —Waaah! —Waaah!

Above the Imperial Square, the high-pitched and resounding horn call echoed through the air, resonating in everyone's ears and hearts.

The atmosphere instantly became more solemn and dignified, and almost simultaneously, all the Supreme Knights raised their weapons in perfect unison, then slammed them heavily to the ground—

--clang!

—Clang! —Clang! —Clang!

The sound of steel striking the ground echoed through the sky along with the high-pitched horn blast. As Luo Xiu looked towards the high platform in the plaza, he then saw the thirteen "Sky Pillar Knights" on the platform simultaneously raise their crimson swords, symbols of supremacy—

Buzz! ! ! ! !
Thirteen beams of crimson light erupted from the swords of the thirteen Sky Pillar Knights, shooting into the sky and illuminating the entire Imperial Square with a pale red glow.

"To the supreme and most loyal king to whom we are devoted, to His Majesty the most glorious, benevolent, wise, and valiant Emperor Augustusville, we offer our loyalty and praise!"

On the high platform, a Sky Pillar Knight—Lemonster Nolan, the chief Sky Pillar Knight—raised his massive, broadsword high, clad in heavy armor embroidered with gold and red patterns, and shouted to all the warriors and meritorious figures in the square:

"—Eternal Empire, Long-lived Emperor!"

"..."

"—Eternal Empire, Long-lived Emperor!"

"—Eternal Empire, Long-lived Emperor!"

"—Eternal Empire, Long-lived Emperor!"

The moment Lemonster's voice fell to the ground, a series of surging sounds erupted from the once solemn square—the sounds of praise for the Empire and for Emperor Augustusville, along with the resounding horns and high-pitched music, formed the only melody in the square at that moment!
The Imperial musicians—the Imperial Orchestra, which had been arranged in various locations throughout the Imperial Square—simultaneously began their stirring and uplifting chorus, playing high-pitched wind and string instruments.

Amidst the climax of praise, chorus, music, and horn sounds, "Celestial Knight" Lemonster once again raised his greatsword high.

The shouts of the million-strong army gradually subsided, and amidst the soaring chorus and music, Lemonster declared loudly:

"We have gathered here to celebrate—that evil nation has fallen, we have achieved final victory, the Empire has achieved final victory!"

"Seven days ago, you returned victorious from the battlefield of judgment—and today, your glory will be witnessed by the world, your achievements will be bestowed by the Emperor, you—the citizens of the Empire who created the greatest feat in the history of the Empire! Your names will be engraved on the Imperial monument, and your great deeds will shine upon the Empire for eternity!"

"Praise be to all the loyal and valiant warriors of His Majesty the Emperor! The Empire has completed its 'judgment,' and now is the time for you to enjoy your glory!"

"..."

With a loud and passionate voice, Lemonster addressed all the warriors and heroes in the square. The warriors' faces gradually lit up with excitement and enthusiasm, just as Chief Sky Pillar Knight Lemonster had said—"Now is the time to enjoy glory!"
……

At this moment, Luo Xiu and the thirteen "meritorious individuals," guided by several ministers and imperial attendants, stepped onto the red carpet leading to the imperial platform, embarking on their journey to pay homage to Emperor Augustusville.

On both sides stretched an endless array of steel armies—surrounded by a million soldiers, Luo Xiu truly felt the exhilarating and inspiring atmosphere. The pre-ceremony speech by the emperor's eldest son, Lemonster Nolan, the chief of the "Sky Pillar Knights," was indeed very moving, and the warriors were deeply encouraged.

As the thirteen "meritorious individuals," including Luo Xiu, walked the red carpet, each time they passed by the fully armored knights on either side, the high-ranking knights would raise their ceremonial axes high and loudly call out the names of the meritorious individuals who had passed by.

"—Greetings to you, Cardinal Rosh Carlos!"

"—Greetings to you, Cardinal Rosh Carlos!"

"—Greetings to you, Cardinal Rosh Carlos!"

One by one, the Supreme Knights saluted Luo Xiu, who nodded in return. He continued walking towards the high platform where Emperor Augustusville was located, while the speech of Lemonster, the chief of the "Pillar Knights," was still underway.

He addressed the entire expeditionary force that had participated in the investiture ceremony, gathered in the Imperial Square, and the distinguished guests from all walks of life in the Empire who had been invited, recounting with great passion the series of great victories the Empire had achieved in this trial war.

It tells the story of how the warriors of the empire bravely defeated the formidable black enemy, and how Emperor Augustusville wisely led the empire to achieve this final victory.

The soldiers on the square felt their blood boil—

Their loyalty to the Empire is now unshakable. Many warriors have made up their minds that if the Empire were to face a new "Judgment War," they would fight with all their might for the Empire. To give their lives for the Empire's cause would be the highest honor a warrior could receive!

Luo Xiu was also listening attentively to Lemonster's speech. Although he had some "different views" about the Empire, it did not prevent him from feeling excited by the speech and seeing the bright hope and future of the Empire.

Indeed, that is true—although the empires that have stood on this continent for so long have always faced various internal and external troubles, there will always be a group of truly outstanding people who will lead the empires to a stronger and more prosperous future.

It will never be those incompetent parasites who hold positions without contributing anything, but rather truly talented and ambitious "heroes" who can lead the empire forward.

And then, when Lemonster Nolan, the leader of the "Knights of the Sky," finally finished his speech.

Luo Xiu continued walking along the red carpet when suddenly a light appeared before his eyes, and a panel popped up, displaying a brand new message—

That was clearly an instruction that the mission was complete.

And this is the final task related to the "Judgment War"—the true "main quest," a completion hint for the [Judgment War (?? Difficulty)]!

The mission was finally completed when Lemonster Nolan, the chief Knight of the Sky Pillars, finished his speech at the beginning of Emperor Augustusville's investiture ceremony. This marked the complete end of the "Judgment War" of version 1.0.

In my previous life, the notification that the "Judgment War (?? Difficulty)" quest was completed popped up when Emperor Augustusville announced the end of the war and the empire's complete victory in the Imperial Square.

Although the rewards from this main quest were no longer as appealing to Luo Xiu, it was still a milestone symbolizing the end of version 1.0. Therefore, on his way to meet Emperor Augustusville, Luo Xiu completed it.

Main quest completed: Judgment War (Difficulty: ??)

With your participation, the glorious Imperial Expeditionary Force finally destroyed the Dark Duchy, and after defeating this terrifying enemy, returned in triumph amidst the praise of all people. On July 3, 768 of the Apocalypse Calendar, Emperor Augustusville held a investiture ceremony in the Imperial Square of the capital city of Augustus, signifying the end of the Judgment War.

You chose to join the Empire, becoming a clergyman in the Holy See—ultimately a Cardinal—and you fulfilled your mission admirably. Now, the Empire's glory will be shared with you. In the future, you may face even more terrifying enemies, but for now, you are fully entitled to roam the sea of ​​glory.

[First phase mission objective completed: Assist the "Nolan Empire" army in resisting the invasion of the "Dark Duchy"]

[Second phase mission objective completed: Assist the "Nolan Empire" army in conquering the territory of the "Dark Principality"]

[Third phase mission objective completed: Assist the "Nolan Empire" army in destroying the "Dark Principality"]

[Mission points will be awarded by eliminating enemy units and successfully assisting your team in achieving specific objectives.]

Current task points: 1089293

[The task is being settled...]

【…】

【…】

"..." Luo Xiu felt as if the panel had crashed.

The total number of mission points obtained throughout the entire trial war has far exceeded the reward limit that this main mission can obtain—originally, even the most powerful players with only the "Triple Fate" skill could not reach more than one million mission points!
However, very soon—the [...] on the panel faded away, and new content finally appeared—

【完成全部阶段任务目标，获得完成奖励：基础经验+1089293000、专属命途随机技艺*3、专属命途随机技能*3、专属命途随机专长*3、技艺槽位*10、技能槽位*10】

【…】

Regarding the three exclusive randomized destiny skills—they are [Sacred Heart Prayer], [Sun-Forging Inscription: Ultimate Radiance], and [Sacred Leron's Blood Ritual].

The Prayer of the Sacred Heart is a skill that saints of high rank (usually referring to the seven paths of destiny) can master. Saints who have reached the "limit of humanity" in their paths of destiny can generally be regarded as the embodiment of their own paths of destiny, and are closely connected with the paths they walk.

For the saints of the sevenfold destiny of [Radiance], after mastering the skill [Sacred Heart Prayer], audible "prayer" is no longer a necessary process for casting holy spells. For most holy spells, Luo Xiu can cast them without prayer. Although the effect will be weakened, it is indeed much more flexible than a complete prayer.

This skill was something Luo Xiu had planned to obtain through some means after advancing to the "Seventh Destiny Path". Now that he has obtained it through a settlement task, Luo Xiu is quite happy.

The second skill, [Sun Engraving - Ultimate Radiance], is actually obtained by repeatedly acquiring [Sun Engraving] and upgrading this skill to the maximum level, thus obtaining its new skill form.

【Sun-Forging Inscription - Ultimate Radiance】 Compared to 【Sun-Forging Inscription】, it can perform a deeper and more essential radiant inscription. Whether it is investing in skill creation or performing the inscription ritual itself, it is a higher level of skill than 【Sun-Forging Inscription】.

The third skill, the Blood Ritual of Saint Lelangen, is a ritual skill inherited from the primordial apostle "Saint Lelangen" of the Sun-Forging Moment.

The effect is that by "sacrificing" a portion of one's life as fuel for the rise of "Radiance" during the sacred ritual of "Radiance," the effectiveness of the ritual can be greatly enhanced.

In layman's terms, this is a technique that requires "reducing maximum health for a certain period of time" to "significantly enhance the ritual effect."

Its effects are also significant. For example, in the "Divine Revelation" ritual that Luo Xiu just performed, without the assistance of Franya and Monine, he could have achieved the same effect by burning off about 20% of his maximum health, or even better.

However, regardless of the circumstances, the [Blood Ritual of Saint Leron] is a skill that needs to be used with caution—the skills obtained from completing the [Judgment War] main quest are all of a very high level, and Luo Xiu is basically certain that it is the reward for his more than one million quest points...

These high-level rewards are just the upper limit of mission rewards, not the upper limit you are entitled to!
Luo Xiu pondered this, and then proceeded with the subsequent calculations. As expected, among the three [Radiant] Destiny-adapting skills obtained, he received three "Authorities"—

One [Radiant] Level IV Authority, and two [Radiant] Level III Authority.

The Level IV Authority [Sun of Annihilation] is the authority that Monigne once displayed, capable of summoning an extremely blazing "sun" to descend.

In addition, there are the Tier III authority [Stigmata of Redemption] and the Tier III authority [Soul-Suppressing Holy Bell]. The former, unlike the [Stigmata of Purification] that Luo Xiu already possesses, is a powerful auxiliary authority that can unfold layer by layer.
The latter is a powerful control-type authority that can make the Soul-Suppressing Holy Bell resound within a certain range, causing the spirit of enemies who are not "resisting" enough to break and faint on the spot.

That's the limit of this reward—but it's good, these powers might come in handy in the upcoming battle against Cardinal Finlayk. Luo Xiu confirmed that they had been settled.

And next, there are three more specialties that will be settled soon—

Although writing is a "random talent," it is most likely to be a "divine" quality talent, or at worst, a "legendary" quality talent talent.

Luo Xiu was quite looking forward to it. On the final stretch of the journey towards the high platform where Emperor Augustusville was located, Luo Xiu gave the panel the "Settle" instruction.

【…】

[Specialty being generated...]

[Gained the special ability "Child of the Shining Sky (Birth of the Gods)"]!
[The Son of Shining Heaven (Birth of the Gods): He shines like stars in the heavens, the Son of Radiance walks in the heavens.]

Your "Divinity" attribute +150, "Luck" attribute +60, your "Holy Light" attribute damage increased by 50%, and your "Holy Light" attribute resistance penetration increased by 50%.

Each time the [Radiance] Fate skill is used, the "Holy Light" attribute damage is increased by 5% for 10 seconds. Repeated triggers refresh the duration, up to a maximum of 50%.

Simultaneously, while under the maximum buff for the "Holy Light" attribute damage of this feat, all subsequent [Radiance] Destiny skills have their mana cost and cooldown reduced by half. Each skill can trigger mana reduction and cooldown reduction a maximum of two times during the same maximum buff period. This lasts until the maximum buff period ends.

【…】

The first settlement yielded a brand-new "Divine Birth" quality feat—the same type of upgrade as the "Divine Birth" quality feat [Heavenly Swordsman] that Luo Xiu had previously obtained. However, [Heavenly Swordsman] is more focused on increasing damage to enemies, while [Shining Sky Child] is more focused on enhancing combat endurance.

This was a good gain. In the next two settlements, Luo Xiu obtained his two existing specializations, [Divine Messenger of the Sun (Legendary)] and [Sword of Heavenly Punishment (Legendary)], upgrading these two "Legendary" quality specializations.

This concludes the reward calculation for the main quest of [Judgment War (?? Difficulty)].

Luo Xiu, guided by ministers and imperial attendants, arrived at the high platform where Emperor Augustusville was located.

now.

The speech by Lemonster, the chief of the "Knights of the Heavenly Pillars," had concluded. The rousing ceremonial music once again resounded across the square, building the atmosphere to a fever pitch.

Amidst the anticipation and attention of all, the emperor of the empire—Emperor Augustusville the Great—finally rose from his imperial throne and appeared before all his subjects. His appearance immediately sparked a wave of enthusiastic cheers!
"—Eternal Empire, Long-lived Emperor!"

"—Eternal Empire, Long-lived Emperor!"

"—Eternal Empire, Long-lived Emperor!"

The clamor once again surged like a tidal wave across the Imperial Square—and amidst this fervent roar, Emperor Augustus slightly raised his head, his eyes, burning like fire in a cave, fixed upon his subjects. Then, from the scabbard beside him, he drew the "Supreme Sword," a symbol of imperial power—

puff!
Emperor Augustus the Great plunged his sword heavily into a golden sword stele atop the high platform, and then proclaimed in a loud voice:

"Inherited from the name of the emperors of the empire—in the name of Augustusville."

"I hereby declare to you—that dark kingdom has been destroyed. You have won glory for yourselves, and more importantly, you have won peace!"

"I am with you, and I will witness this great achievement with you!"

"And in the future, my beloved ministers, my valiant warriors, I will lead you, lead you to victory and conquest, I will lead you to greater glory and to expand our territory to even greater heights!"

"I swear to you that in my hands, the empire will grow into the greatest, most glorious, and most honorable empire. I will make the empire so powerful that no one can shake it. I will truly build an immortal empire!"

Augustusville announced these things in a loud voice—

His voice was more impassioned and powerful than Lemonster's, and the warriors in the square responded with great excitement to Emperor Augustusville's voice, with shouts of "Immortal Empire!" rising one after another!
Emperor Augustus looked down from the platform and then solemnly proclaimed—

"And afterwards, I will bestow upon the heroes who were born in glory in this 'judgment' war the rewards and honors of the Empire!"

"In the name of the Empire, in the name of Augustusville!"

"I, the Emperor, will bestow titles upon these 'heroes'!"

……

(End of this chapter)