Chapter 306: The Third Elder
Chapter 306: The Third Elder
"Hiss..." Josie shivered, her breath turning into white smoke in front of her. "It's so cold here!"
A Second Rank Holy Knight, Josie was struggling with the bitter cold, and Hum, a First Rank, was even less capable of enduring it.
As they neared the Third Elder's territory, Hum felt an overwhelming chill, and now his body was stiff as ice.
Oddly, the Desecration Beast seemed unaffected by the cold.
"The Ice Goddess?" Karl wondered aloud, lightly shaking his head. "It seems like her, but something's off."
With a flick of his finger, two flames descended upon them, alive and vibrant, seeping into their clothes and shielding them from the harsh cold.
Below, a lifeless world of ice and snow stretched out, an extreme coldness permeating the very air.
This seemed like the work of a deity of ice and snow, but the lifeless aura was unlike that of a deity.
Deities required the faith of living beings, constantly harvesting it, so even the realm of an Ice Goddess would have life. Yet, the cold below repelled all life, a clear sign of a demon's doing.
"Conn!" A gust of cold wind lifted two figures into the air.
One wore an exquisite gown, their features delicate and beautiful, like the legendary Heavenly Beauty Goddess. The other, hunched over, stood behind like a servant.
"Hmm..." Karl narrowed his eyes. "Duke Joe?"
"It's me!" The visitor wasn't the Third Elder, the base's leader, but a Demigod, one of the realm's Dukes.
Joe!
Son of the Beauty Goddess!
Karl had seen many, including Divine Realm Angels and Foreign Creatures, but none matched the charm of the man before him.
Even knowing he was male, his stunning beauty made Karl's heart flutter unconsciously.
Josie and Hum were equally captivated, their eyes fixed on him, unwilling to look away.
Even the Desecration Beast's expression softened.
Though they had never met, this unique aura could only belong to a Demigod with a magical bloodline.
Enchantment? Karl's heart stirred.
Duke Joe's innate charm seemed to transcend Third Circle Pseudo-Spells or Divine Arts, ignoring all resistance.
Fortunately, he seemed harmless; otherwise, their strength would be halved in an instant.
"It's me." Joe gestured downward. "As you can see, this place has become a demon's territory, and the source of the anomaly is your Third Elder from the Holy Sanctuary."
"Hmm..."
"He's turned into a monster!"
"Duke." Karl stepped down from the carriage, looking him in the eye. Instead of inquiring about the situation, he asked, "Why are you here?"
"I had a close friendship with your Third Elder." Joe didn't mind Karl's questioning tone, speaking softly. "Due to the Moon Goddess's seal, I couldn't leave my territory. He always came to visit me."
"Now, I've lost contact with him, so I came to check."
Joe sighed. "Yef became obsessed with change, unaware he was lured by a demon, becoming a puppet."
Yef was the Third Elder.
"Right." Joe stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Some people did something to Yef secretly, making him extremely irritable. I suspect it might be aimed at you."
"Conn, it seems someone lured you here but doesn't want you to leave."
"Is that so?" Karl wasn't surprised; there were many in the Holy Sanctuary who wished him harm. "Why did you stop me, Duke?"
"I want you to free him." Joe sighed, his expression complex, filled with reluctance. "As a friend, it's the only thing I can do for him."
Friend? Karl found this odd.
Perhaps it was Joe's unique aura, or a miscommunication, but he seemed more like a lover than a friend.
Duke Joe shook his head and spoke, "As a demigod, can't you help Elder Three escape? If you can't, I'm afraid I'm even less capable."
"I am a demigod, but I'm not skilled in combat. That should be obvious." Joe shrugged, "And as Yev's friend, I can't bring myself to fight him. I can only ask you to do it."
"Of course!"
"As a reward, after this is over, I'll tell you where Yev hid his treasure. Trust me, without my help, you'd never find his legacy."
"Legacy..." Karl responded.
"Including the wings of Pale Wings?"
"Yes." Joe nodded, a strange smile appearing on his face, "And the secrets between deities."
---
For hundreds of miles, everything was frozen, a power that surpassed mortal comprehension. Even a Third-Circle Warlock would struggle to achieve this feat.
But for deities, it was effortless.
The difference between a Third-Circle Forbidden Knight and a Fourth-Circle Low-Order Deity was like heaven and earth, despite being just a step apart.
The ascension from mortal to deity was a challenging journey.
The path of a knight was no different for a wizard.
Third-Circle Warlocks were not uncommon among the major powers, but the so-called Fourth-Circle Warlocks with infinite lifespans were few and far between.
This showcased the difficulty of ascension.
"It's right below."
---
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
Joe stood in the void, gesturing to Karl, "Be careful."
"Mhm."
Karl nodded, transforming into a streak of fire and rushing downward.
The hard ice crystal was effortlessly pierced by the fire, like a hot knife through butter, silently sinking into it.
Time passed, and...
"Swish!"
Karl's figure appeared in an ice sculpture palace.
In the grand hall were servants and knights, all frozen into ice sculptures, and in the center sat a figure in meditation.
"Elder Three?"
Karl was surprised, "It's really him!"
He had his doubts about Duke Joe's words, but seeing the scene before him, he believed it eighty percent.
Elder Three had already become a tool for a certain being, a vessel for its power to infiltrate.
His physical body was constantly transforming, channeling the cold, expanding and freezing everything in its path.
The vitality and world essence stolen by the cold were transmitted to that being through his body.
"But..."
"How did you do it?"
So many divine servants had entered, including god-sons and demigods, but they were all preparing for the future, unable to inherit the deity's power, let alone devour the world essence.
Karl strolled in the hall, seemingly casual, but each step was calculated, landing on nodes of cold energy.
"A formation?"
"This grand formation was likely set up hundreds of years ago..."
Karl pondered, "Hundreds, perhaps even thousands of years ago, deities came to this realm and set up this formation."
"Then, due to the Moon Goddess's influence, the foreign demon god's power couldn't infiltrate, and it had to wait."
"Until Elder Three discovered this place and was tempted by the demon god's power, becoming its puppet."
"Crack..."
Before he finished speaking, the body of Elder Three in front of him shook slightly, and cracks appeared in the surrounding ice crystals. His eyes slowly opened.
"Intruder."
Elder Three stared at Karl, his gaze icy, "Die!"
"Huff!"
Endless cold air rushed towards Karl.
Third-Circle Sorcery - Annihilation Flame! The freezing cold that could freeze everything collided with the flame that could annihilate all, creating a thick cloud of smoke.
"Hmm!"
Karl grunted, taking a step back, his forehead veins bulging.
So powerful!
With just sorcery, he was no match for his opponent.
But through this clash, he could gauge the extent of Elder Three's power, which was still at the Third-Circle level.
Given this...
"Bang!"
Heart Hands - Karmic Fire Seal!
(End of Chapter)
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