Chapter 689: The Legend of Lanchi, Heir to the Seal

Chapter 689: The Legend of Lanchi, Heir to the Seal

As the clock approached 5 a.m., the entire Flower Capital of Pariah remained shrouded in chaos and fear.

The few remaining street lamps swayed in the fierce wind, like flickering candles that could be snuffed out at any moment.

Shelters and temples were filled with anxious and frightened people.

"Mom, will a hero come to save us?"

A little girl clutched her teddy bear tightly, tears streaking down her innocent face, as she hid with her mother under a narrow porch.

"Yes, dear," her mother whispered, holding her close, her eyes hollow and voice trembling as she tried to offer reassurance.

Her hope had shattered the moment she heard someone say that Loren's appearance was a mistake.

At that moment, most of the citizens in the temple were feeling dejected.

At the other end of the temple, a group of Holy Knights were struggling to carry their injured comrade to safety.

Their faces were drenched in sweat and dust, and each step was painfully difficult.

"What's the situation on the north shore?"

The injured cleric moaned, blood trickling down his forehead.

"It's hard to tell. Even the reports from the frontline journalists are conflicting. But it seems it's not the High Cleric after all."

Despite wanting to offer his companion some comfort, the truth was cruel.

If it were truly Loren, it wouldn't be Perlman chasing after him; instead, a storm would be sweeping through the entire Flower Capital of Pariah.

Just then, another blinding flash of lightning ripped through the night sky, illuminating the entire city.

"It's a Tier 8 battle! A newly confirmed unknown Tier 8 entity has engaged Perlman!"

The female Mozu journalist gasped, her voice shaking.

The rain blurred the camera lens, distorting the image.

In the distance, beyond the reach of the camera, above the endless night, pouring rain, and ruins, it seemed as if the gates of hell had opened.

Although the scene was indiscernible, everyone could sense the power emanating through the lens.

Not just in the temple, but in every corner of the Flower Capital, wherever there was a surviving signal, countless eyes were fixed on the screens.

Some whispered prayers, seeking divine protection, while others clutched the hands of those beside them, finding solace in their touch.

Meanwhile, among those watching the unstable footage in the church, a murmur of discussion arose.

On the screen, on top of a distant skyscraper, two blurry dots seemed to be engaged in combat!

This scene was captured by a journalist several kilometers away.

Braving the raging storm, the Mozu journalist once again did their best to set up their equipment.

However, due to the extreme distance, coupled with the darkness of night, pouring rain, and constant flashes of lightning, the image was intermittently clear and blurry, like a dream that kept flickering in and out of focus.

In the lens, one could barely make out two black dots moving on the rooftop, emitting black and gray mists. The invisible impact of their clash created waves of air that reached even those kilometers away, causing them to stumble.

Every time the two dots collided, the screen shook violently, accompanied by an ear-piercing screech.

"Who are they...?"

"Another tablet holder?"

"What kind of tablet is that? I've never seen it in any book!"

"Wait, I think I've seen these ancient characters in my magic genealogy class at the Holy Teaching Research Society. Is that the... Seal Tablet?!"

A cleric in the temple stared at the crystal screen, her eyes widening as she let out a startled cry.

Her sudden change in expression caused the other citizens to tense up.

The cleric wore a complex expression, as if she knew the answer but was hesitant to utter the name of a certain "taboo" subject—a foreboding topic that seemed to bring ill omen.

"According to the information, the current holder of the [Original Seal Tablet] is Cardinal Askesang of the Resurrection Church in the Northern Continent..."

Cardinal Askesang of the Extinction, a name synonymous with fear, despair, and torture.

As one of the highest-ranking cardinals in the Resurrection Church, every sealing and cursing technique he possessed had once sown seeds of death across the world.

His infamy among the people of the Northern Continent was no less than that of Perlman, who was currently wreaking havoc in the Flower Capital.

Legend has it that Askesang's sealing techniques were silent but deadlier than any offensive magic. Within a few hours, he could turn a prosperous metropolis into a silent hell, trapping both the strong and the weak in his seal with no escape. This cardinal knew no sympathy or humanity, only a morbid fascination with death and extinction.

The Extinction Cardinal was feared by all living beings in the Northern Continent, and his notoriety had even reached the Southern Continent.

"But wasn't Cardinal Askesang presumed dead?"

"Maybe the information is false? Could he still be alive?"

Many asked, their voices a mix of panic and confusion.

There had been unverified rumors circulating from the Northern Continent about a battle among the bishops of the Resurrection Church.

A change in the leadership of the Resurrection Church might have just occurred recently.

At present, the situation in the Flower Capital of Pariah was in complete disarray. First, there was the rebellion, followed by the successive appearances of mysterious figures, making it impossible to distinguish truth from deception.

Nevertheless, they could only pin their hopes on the sudden emergence of powerful beings to stop Perlman.

"Why, first Loren, and now Askesang?"

Sitting on a long bench, the platinum-level card maker, Brunton, pushed up his glasses and frowned, speaking to himself.

He, too, had been brought to the safety of the temple by the Kingdom of Parsen.

As a platinum-level card maker from the Kingdom of Alolan, he possessed more intelligence regarding the situation in the Southern Continent than the average citizen or cleric.

The sudden appearance of these powerful beings at such a critical moment was, in itself, suspicious.

If one were not caught up in the relief of having a potential savior, a closer examination would reveal a stark dissonance.

There had been uncertain rumors from the Northern Continent a while back, suggesting that Askesang might have perished.

And the scene of his death was allegedly connected to Loren.

Initially, this intelligence hadn't seemed reliable, as Loren had eradicated a group of destructive rebels shortly afterward, indicating that he was likely still in the Southern Continent.

Or, he had returned with a speed that defied reason, almost as if he had foreseen the future.

As rumors of the unrest within the Protoss Empire's bishops intensified over the past six months, more and more couriers from the Northern and Southern continents confirmed Loren's presence in the north, and the news of Askesang's demise grew increasingly credible.

As a rational individual with independent thinking capabilities, Brunton's brows furrowed.

Could it be...

that someone has secretly unified a portion of the Resurrection Church and is remotely controlling them from a thousand miles away, manipulating world events to align with their desires? Just the thought sent a chill down his spine.

With Loren's illogical appearance here, even Askesang, who had no reason to be present, had shown up.

Perlman's coup tonight was an unpredictable variable for the entire eastern region and even the Southern Continent, going against everyone's expectations or the script in some people's minds.

So...

someone has come to erase it.

This abnormal reinforcement, instead of salvation, seemed more like a "correction"!

And with this preparation, is the Krexi Empire about to go to war? Will a stage for the birth of a hero unfold?

Brunton dared not think further.

He only felt afraid.

...

On the other side of the southern bank of Flower City.

The demon holding the Cursed Grimoire paused and looked back at the open-air giant screen.

At this moment, he no longer resembled Princess Yfatia but had reverted to his indistinct male face.

Ever since crossing the Catastrophe Role-Earth and coming to the Northern Continent, then sailing to the Southern Continent, he had never encountered anything as strange as today's events.

Every time his plan was about to succeed, it would deviate slightly.

Although it seemed to have no significant impact, and he had an absolute advantage in terms of pure combat strength and victory conditions alongside Perlman, there always seemed to be an unpredictable factor at play.

"Loki McCathy, huh..."

Beelzebub removed his gray cowl and gazed into the distance towards the north in the pouring rain.

Through his connection with Perlman, he had learned that Loren was a disguise used by Loki McCathy, and now he was unsure of the extent of Loki's abilities.

They had obtained one of the keys to the Flower City Pariah's defense hub.

Initially, he had planned to head to the last duke's mansion on the southern bank to retrieve the remaining key before joining Perlman on the northern shore, where the Demon World was located.

After some thought, Beelzebub changed direction and headed towards the north shore's 4th district.

It would be more prudent to ensure that Loki McCathy could be eliminated first.

...

North Shore, District 10.

A hazy crimson glow on the horizon was gradually intensifying, like cotton candy soaked in blood, gently exuding a soft, dark red hue.

Rainwater flowed freely down the glass curtain walls of the skyscrapers, and in the lightning flashes, countless silvery snakes danced eerily in the darkness.

Thunder rumbled and echoed among the buildings.

The rebellious Demon Lord, Perlman, and the gray-robed man who had suddenly appeared clashed for the second time in this narrow sky.

Perlman waved his hands, and a tide of pitch-black ink-like mental force surged forth, rushing towards the gray-robed man.

That mental force was denser than the pouring rain, as if it wanted to devour all the remaining light and drag the entire world into endless darkness.

But the gray-robed man did not retreat.

In the next moment, a verdant green radiance burst forth from his body, and a wind light barrier collided with the black malicious intent, creating a deafening explosion.

The powerful blast of air whipped up a fierce wind, and the skyscraper beneath their feet began to crumble. A giant vortex formed in the rain around them, like the eye of a typhoon.

"No Primal Stone Board wind effect this time?"

Perlman pushed his hands forward and asked sharply.

Although it was inconceivable and unheard of for the unique divine radiance of each fake Primal Stone Board to be counterfeited, that was precisely what was happening. When the opponent used the immunity field to neutralize his attack for the second time, there was no Primal Stone Board wind effect.

The opponent was obviously an adept scam artist, skillfully manipulating the situation.

The black, violent mental force pressed down like a tsunami, unstoppable.

"As everyone knows, there can only be one Primal Stone Board. Now that I've started using the Seal Stone Board, I won't be using the Wind Stone Board anymore."

Lanchi smiled gently and replied sincerely. The earth's crust crumbled, countless cracks extended and turned into abysses, and black flames rose from the ground, climbing up the skyscrapers and shooting towards Perlman from all directions.

It almost seemed like it would bind Perlman's soul and burn his mental energy to ashes.

Perlman summoned his mental force and enveloped himself within a black energy ball.

The black flames emitted a piercing buzz as they came into contact with the mental force barrier, unable to penetrate this defense.

Taking advantage of this interval, Lanchi, as if giving Perlman a lesson in magic genealogy, threw a sealing magic card that was shrouded in sinister mist.

The rain in the sky became extremely oppressive at this moment, almost solidifying, and in the sound-sealed space, blood-curdling, mournful wails echoed.

Countless ghosts, as if crossing over from another dimension, appeared, their shadows overlapping, their individual forms indistinguishable. Like a choir, they permeated the rain and mist.

The wails pierced the boundary between reality and nightmare, bringing with them the soul radiance of the Seal Stone Board, black as obsidian!

To Perlman, all of this was nothing but noise in his ears.

As a being of spiritual attributes himself, he had strong resistance to spiritual interference, such as sound.

These ghosts could only slightly slow down his actions.

Perlman's mental force shield spread out like wings, and the wind pressure alone scattered the chorus of demon spirits.

"Do you understand now? You can only have one Primal Stone Board."

Lanchi emphasized seriously.

"Do you think I'd fall for your fake stone board again?"

Perlman had always considered himself a patient demon, but at this moment, he found his opponent annoying.

The opponent was using this summon with its impressive special effects just to show off the light effect of the Seal Stone Board; it served no other purpose.

A mental shock descended from the sky, enveloping Lanchi directly.

Where the invisible magic passed, the raindrops began to flow again, but Lanchi's body slowed down instantly.

"This time, it's for real."

Lanchi seemed to be indicating that he didn't want to fight anymore.

Without panic, Lanchi quickly stabilized his body between the ground and the air. The square magical crest on his dark gray coat erupted with purple-cracked lightning, and the invisible magical barrier that unfolded before him, like the innocence in his eyes, withstood Perlman's mental force, creating a metallic hum and waves of air!

Talia had anticipated Perlman's intention to use psychic magic and had already cast a similar psychic spell alongside Lanchi.

As expected, her psychic magic countered and neutralized Perlman's attack.

The remaining damage was deflected by her magical shield, and the accessory given to her by Lanchi was triggered.

Silent Crest

Category: Equipment Card

Grade: Pink Sacred

Attribute: Counter/Seal

Rank: 5

Effect: Automatically triggered when taking high damage, absorbing 50% of the damage and sealing 50% of the attacker's attributes for 5 seconds. Can be triggered five times every 24 hours.

Note: True both inside and out.

To some extent, the two of them deliberately took Perlman's attack, as using this equipment could buy them time and make Perlman hesitate to pursue them further while his attack was weakened.

"Are you okay, Tata?" Lanchi transmitted his thoughts instantly.

Talia had taken the brunt of the previous psychic attack for him.

Back in Bandra City on the northern border of the Protoss Empire, when facing Sigrid's sneak attack, the legendary seal master had withstood several blows. Sigrid couldn't take him down, and it was only later, when organizing his legacy, that they discovered he had such an accessory.

"Not bad. Your teacher, Lao Sang, really treats you well, even giving you this kind of card." Talia acknowledged with a sense of relief.

That being said, she didn't see much hope in winning this battle.

In her state of possessing Lanchi, her output was limited, barely reaching the eighth-tier level. It was only due to the two of them having a ninth seal that gave them a super-high demon lord attack bonus against Perlman that they were able to control his frenzied state.

If she were to summon herself, she could fight with full force, but her magic consumption would also increase significantly, and she wouldn't be able to fight Perlman for long.

Regardless, she decided to follow Lanchi's lead tonight and fight alongside him to the end like his devoted poet.

In the high skies of Posen District 10.

As Perlman's terrifying mental force attacked again, Lanchi's figure, shrouded in a deep gray coat, almost turned into a shadow. He twisted his finger joints slightly, and the entire rooftop terrace was instantly enveloped by ominous fluctuations.

Deep gray vines and leaves blossomed from his palms, quickly spreading out and coming to life. The vines enlarged suddenly, turning into a giant predatory net that enveloped Perlman from above.

Each vine's pattern exuded a soul-shivering pitch-black divine light.

Not only did it trap Perlman, but it also started to contract, as if isolating him in an inescapable void!

Glorious Artificial Flower

Category: Summoning Card

Grade: Pink Sacred

Attribute: Wood/Seal

Rank: 8

Effect: Summons numerous vines that will surround and seal the targeted enemy. The vines possess high damage immunity and reflect damage back to the attacker in multiple bursts.

Note: Flowers without fruit, leaves without branches.

This was the legendary seal master's card from his final battle. It could seal both himself and his enemies and was especially effective against the Nuclear Fusion Wolf.

"Do you think you can drag this out until my frenzied state ends?" Perlman continued to exert mental pressure on Lanchi while resisting the vines. He didn't use a high-damage attack to destroy them directly.

Although this confirmed that Loki McCathy could use eighth-tier magic, it was still far from matching a stone tablet holder. It could only barely hold him off.

Moreover, Loki was the type of opponent Perlman despised the most. He neither provoked during the battle nor revealed his true emotions of triumph or distress. All Perlman could see was his constant show of weakness, as if he were just playing along with his opponent.

There was no telling when he might strike back.

But it was also possible that he had no means of counterattacking at all.

He was constantly playing mind games.

"It seems I'm truly at a disadvantage and about to lose." Lanchi couldn't tell how long Perlman's rational frenzy would last, but he noticed that it shared an unchanging characteristic with the Pelloni's Grudge curse—it constantly consumed life.

After fighting for a while, both of them had weakened. Lanchi had consumed a lot of magic, and Perlman had lost a significant amount of life.

If they continued like this, he indeed couldn't win by dragging it out.

Even if Perlman's frenzy was lifted, Lanchi would lose because Perlman still had magic left, while he would be out of magic.

But that was okay.

He felt that it was about time to decide the victor.

"Tata, don't hold back. Go all out!" Lanchi transmitted his thoughts.

In an unnoticeable instant, orange light feathers scattered in the black night rain, and a fairy-like girl, like a flower spirit, landed in mid-air.

It was as if an eternal moment had arrived.

She was graceful, with a gentle floral fragrance and an angelic face, though without a hint of a smile.

At this moment, Perlman's attention was entirely focused on Lanchi, and he didn't notice that Lanchi could manifest an even stronger full-power demon! Even when Talia appeared and controlled Perlman, he didn't react because he was too occupied with suppressing Lanchi.

"..."

Talia focused her magic on her fingertips, and the air in the direction she pointed began to distort, forming deep gray cracks. Anything devoured by these cracks seemed to be instantly crushed.

Although they hadn't dragged out Perlman's frenzied state yet, she knew that Lanchi's judgment was correct—they couldn't win by prolonging the battle. It was better to go all out and fight Perlman to the death.

Gray lines along the edges of the vines sealed Perlman.

Rift String Sound

Category: Equipment Card

Grade: Pink Sacred

Attribute: Seal/Space

Rank: 8

Effect: After casting, you can create twelve sealing-state fissures in space within 60 seconds. Enemies who come into contact with these fissures will suffer an ignore-defense burst. The fissures can also be manually detonated after existing for more than 1 second. Cooldown time: 150 seconds.

】

[Remark: Suspicion, hatred, fear, and pity. Your appearance has made humans more restrained.]



Even Shadow Cat Boss was all too familiar with this magic.

Not only had the legendary seal master used it, but even the Holy Son had a youthful version. However, since it was a dual-attribute seal and space card, a pure seal master couldn't learn it, so it had to be equipped.

If one accidentally touched those gray lines in the air that resembled fissures, they would rapidly expand and intersect, exploding violently.

This was almost the strongest card in the legendary seal master's repertoire, aside from the stone tablets. As for the epic-level sealing techniques he mastered and the epic-level magic cards he possessed, they would be lost to history upon his death, except for the original epic cards of the Primal Stone Tablets, which would only be replicated in the shadow world of the next era if they were not specially described.

If you want one, you'll have to wait for the next Shadow World reproduction.

"Hmph."

When Talia appeared with her frenzied eighth-tier magic, the demons within a kilometer radius of Posen District 10 all felt an urge to kneel before her.

Perlman's gaze, which had been on Lanchi, suddenly shifted to the gray-haired female demon exuding an oppressive aura.

But with just a single word from her, her demonic voice seemed to entwine itself into his mind, causing the surprise and doubt he felt to be infinitely amplified, to the point where his entire brain seemed on the verge of overload, unable to think.

Even so, amidst the confusion, Perlman felt he was one step closer to the answer.

"Why would a Demon King debase himself by possessing a human?"

Perlman gathered his magic, and with the vines disrupting him, trying to dodge the frontal assault of the Demon King was unrealistic. At this moment, he had no choice but to go all out and clash with his true arch-nemesis! His opponent seemed to be betting on using Lanchi as a decoy to draw his attention, only to have the gray-haired Demon King sneak attack him at a critical moment.

Even though Perlman never thought he would have to fight a Demon King, fortunately, this Demon King was undoubtedly the weakest and most aberrant in history. Aside from the Demon King's special attack against demons, she was remarkably weak!

"The answer is simple. He is my possession."

Talia replied coldly, and for this moment alone, her words carried the domineering aura of a Demon Queen.

The entire space began to distort, and as the deep gray vines fell from the sky and gray fissures rose from the ground, they were about to engulf Perlman in an instant.

It was also at this moment that Perlman sneered, and the black energy ball surrounding him suddenly expanded, transforming into a massive black hole.

Despite the dizziness in his brain, he could be certain of one thing: his opponent was all show and no substance.

The Wind Stone Board was a fake, the Seal Stone Board was a fake, and even this Demon King's aura might be a fake!

When faced with an opponent who liked to play mind games, the best strategy was to directly destroy them. The more one overthought, the more likely they were to fall into their trap.

Moreover, if his opponent was only this strong, even he could defeat a Demon King!

In the blink of an eye, a semi-transparent black haze emanated from Perlman, even his eyes turning into liquid black with mist drifting about, as if he had entered an entirely new state of being. He unleashed a relentless torrent of mental force, colliding with the deep gray chains.

A terrifying vortex formed at the center of the black hole, seeking to devour everything.

The vines and the mental force black hole collided in mid-air, erupting in a dazzling display of explosions more intense than the interplay of black and white.

The light was so brilliant that it seemed like the eternal night and the everlasting day had converged at this very moment.

The entire Posen Demon World District 10's skyscrapers trembled from the force of the collision, shattering the glass and emitting deafening roars.

...

Far away, on a tall building, the 7th District Lord, Astros, and the 8th District Lord, Eureka, continued to watch this battle that they couldn't interfere with but would decide the fate of Flower City Pariah.

The wind howled around them, tugging at the edges of their umbrellas with sharp whistles.

The pouring rain beat relentlessly on the umbrella, sending countless tiny droplets dancing and spinning in the air, like the rhythm of their heartbeats.

"This is... the Demon King..."

Eureka's eyes widened in shock, and her umbrella nearly fell to the ground.

Upon seeing Tata's appearance, Eureka and Astros finally understood Loki's true identity.

They had thought the Demon King was merely a legend of the ancient Demon World, but now they were witnessing a living Demon King with their very own eyes!

This would likely be the decisive blow.

Even Loki had chosen to stake it all, allowing the Demon King possessing him to reveal herself and confront Perlman directly.

"Contrary to Perlman, who possessed absolute suppression and ever-increasing braking effects and was in a state of frenzied aggression, Loki McCathy chose to drag it out, his defenses becoming sluggish. With all his fake equipment and no Demon King to support him, he couldn't even use the mental magic to neutralize and counter Perlman, and he seemed incredibly fragile.

"In other words..." Astros said, looking at her.

"Indeed." Eureka nodded.

"Perlman wins."

...

...

Not only Perlman, who lay on the ground with his eyes open, but even Talia was stunned.

She had thought Lanchi's Seal Stone Board was a fake.

But when she used it, wasn't it the real [Primal Stone Board - Seal] instead of the fake [Fake Stone Board - Seal]?!

Moreover, as her summoner, Lanchi, had switched his secondary attribute from Curse to Seal, she, as a Seal-attribute summon, could benefit from the Seal Stone Board's boost. The sealing magic she released, being shared with Lanchi's Stone Board, could benefit from the Stone Board's boost once more.

The power of the sealing magic she unleashed even surprised herself.

At this moment, amidst the ruins, there lay Perlman, badly wounded, not far from the calm and collected Lanchi, with Talia floating behind him.

"Impressive, Perlman."

Lanchi looked at the badly injured Perlman on the ground.

"You are the third opponent I won't forget."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end