Chapter 705: Loren's Death (Part 2)
Chapter 705: Loren's Death (Part 2)
Julianna's eyes widened in astonishment as she gazed at the figure descending from the sky.
Loren's profile was outlined by sharp black and white shadows, his brown hair flying wildly in the wind like swirling clouds, his gaze that of an absolute powerhouse looking down upon the earth.
"Loren? How are you here?"
Julianna's voice trembled with weakness and excitement.
"Julianna, take the students and head to Yaloran. Don't look back."
Loren immediately pushed her away with wind magic, sending her speeding towards the western territory of the Yaloran Kingdom, his voice carrying on the wind.
Soaring through the sky like a shooting star, Julianna's expression was complex, a struggle and reluctance flashing in her eyes.
But she understood that this wasn't the time for sentimentality. She trusted in Loren's strength.
And as an injured liability, she might fall prey to Geyate's illusions here, becoming a hindrance to Loren.
Moreover, she understood Loren's intention. As a protector of the Yaloran Kingdom, she had to return to the kingdom's barrier as soon as possible to maximize her strategic value. The royal capital couldn't do without her, or the Yaloran Kingdom would become the weakest link among the three major eastern nations!
"Loren! Be careful!"
Mustering her determination, Julianna turned away and accelerated her flight, soon disappearing at the other end of the canyon.
"..."
Although Julianna quickly accepted the absurdity of Loren's sudden appearance, she had no idea why he was here.
But the pressure he now faced from his upcoming opponent, Geyate, the Third War God of the Entangled Agate Throne, was immense.
Facing this top-notch War God, who excelled in illusions and seals, Loren wasn't sure if he could win.
All he could do was hold him off, which shouldn't be a problem.
Before Loren could finish speaking, Geyate had already risen from the rubble. He didn't seem to have sustained any injuries, and his clothes weren't even dusty. Loren's previous attack had been completely blocked by him.
"As expected, the Archpriest Loren comes and goes like the wind, and can appear anywhere, just as the Empire's intelligence suggested. I never expected to gain such an unexpected harvest today."
Geyate stared at Loren, as if he had finally met an interesting opponent.
"..."
Loren wasn't inclined to engage in much conversation with Geyate, the Third War God of the Entangled Agate Throne.
Talking with an opponent skilled in illusions could easily lead to falling into their traps.
But the opponent's words were baffling.
How could he so easily accept the fact that he had left the Kingdom of Hutton, when he hadn't left its borders in recent years?
This time, he had come to escort Lanchi back from the Kingdom of Bosen.
He knew that Lanchi possessed unique leadership and leadership talents, and his role in the war would be indispensable.
Fortunately, there were currently Florens, the Grand Knight of the Fate Goddess Church, and the Ice Snow Witch, the Holy Maiden, in the heartland of Hutton, so even if Loren left temporarily, the safety of the royal capital, Icely, would still be guaranteed. And so, Loren had secretly set off.
Then, as soon as he arrived in the Kingdom of Bosen, he discovered through their intelligence department that Julianna had been gone for too long without successfully returning to the Kingdom of Yaloran, and he knew that her journey must have been very difficult, and considering that there would be Empire War Gods blocking her way, Loren tried his half-baked astrology, and the Goddess kept giving him ominous omens.
He was so worried that he set off alone towards the Kingdom of Yaloran.
Anyway, Lanchi was safe in the heartland of Bosen, in the Flower City of Pariet, so it didn't matter if he went to get her a little earlier or later, but for Julianna, he had to make sure that she could return safely to the territory of Yaloran, as it concerned the safety of countless people in the Kingdom of Yaloran.
The sky gradually darkened, and large patches of clouds turned a sinister scarlet under the increasingly red moonlight.
Thunder rumbled and roared, carrying sand and stones with it.
Loren and Geyate faced each other from a distance, their magical power rising visibly, and the ripples of energy colliding in mid-air.
In the next moment, countless streams of energy surged from Loren's slightly raised palm, condensing into an invisible heavy sword that stabbed straight at Geyate.
Geyate let out a soft laugh, and with a wave of his mechanical staff, a deep purple barrier formed in front of him.
Vast magical power surged on the surface of the barrier, like mercury rippling with waves.
The invisible heavy sword collided with the magical barrier, exploding with a deafening impact.
The entire Valhalla Canyon trembled under the force of the collision, and Geyate, the Third War God, displayed magic far more powerful than what he had used against Julianna earlier.
Obviously, Geyate was now using his full strength against Loren.
The emerald green energy currents and the deep purple mist intertwined, stirring up devastating storms, and the hurricane summoned by Loren tore through the very fabric of space as it passed.
Geyate waved his staff again, and the mechanical staff transformed into a magic wand.
Countless purple-black lightning bolts fell from the sky, coiling around Loren's limbs like venomous snakes.
Loren's figure faltered for a moment, but he soon broke free from the bindings.
After Geyate's staff transformed into a magic wand, the damage it inflicted decreased, but the casting speed increased significantly.
Loren needed some time to adapt to his opponent's new combat style.
As Loren showed a moment of vulnerability, Geyate waved his magic wand and the sky suddenly darkened.
Countless shadows appeared out of thin air, rushing towards Loren in a overwhelming tide.
Each shadow transformed into sharp thorns, their edges razor-like.
Loren's expression changed slightly, and he summoned gusts of wind to deflect the attack.
Countless air currents swirled around him, forming a flowing armor that shaved off most of the thorns, but a few still managed to pierce his body.
Loren grunted, feeling an unknown power draining away rapidly.
After Geyate's weapon transformed into a magic wand, the damage it dealt was reduced, but the frequency of his control magic increased, making it more troublesome.
The intense confrontation between Loren and Geyate in the Valhalla Canyon continued. The raging winds tore through the hard rocks, shattering them, while Geyate cast enigmatic illusions, filling the entire land with purple mist, blurring the line between reality and fantasy.
Loren clapped his palms together, and in an instant, thousands of sharp wind and thunderbolts howled forth, carrying the force of a thousand troops and charging towards Geyate.
Geyate flicked his fingers, and countless purple-black chains appeared out of thin air, coiling around the wind and thunderbolts and shattering them into pieces, turning them into scattered dust.
"Eight-Rank Lightning Magic... According to rumors, Archpriest, apart from Wind, your most proficient attribute is Light, but it seems that you're adept with every attribute."
Geyate smiled curiously, "Which attribute are you most skilled in?"
In his opinion, it wasn't that Wind had chosen Loren, but that Loren had chosen Wind. Out of the thirty-one attributes, Loren was probably proficient in more than half of them.
Loren's face remained cold, and he didn't answer.
He disliked conversing with his opponent during a battle.
Unbeknownst to him, his opponent Geyate, the Third War God of the Entangled Agate Throne, was incredibly adept at illusions and seals. Facing such an opponent, Loren knew he would be at a disadvantage.
His affinity leaned more towards elemental magic, and when fighting an opponent with any element, Loren could basically counter them regardless of their attribute.
But when it came to flashy attributes like illusion and seal magic, he was truly not proficient.
Now, he could only try to figure out which spells would be most effective against Geyate.
Loren raised his right palm above his head.
A dazzling pillar of white light erupted from his palm, shooting straight up into the sky and illuminating the entire canyon as bright as day. Countless brilliant specks of light quickly converged in the air, transforming into a massive net of light that blanketed the canyon.
"So, you know quite a lot of light and barrier magic," Geyate remarked.
A purple-black magical barrier swiftly formed around him, blocking the giant net of light from reaching him.
The two powerful forces collided violently in mid-air, exploding with an ear-piercing boom.
The veins on Loren's hand twitched as he struggled to maintain the light net with all his might.
However, this clash, like the previous ones, proved fruitless.
"Unfortunately for you, I also excel in this," Geyate murmured.
Within a radius of several kilometers, magic arrays formed under his feet, exuding a suffocatingly terrifying aura.
Countless purple-black specks of light frenziedly circulated within the magic arrays, transforming into thick chains as large as pythons, rushing towards Loren's light array.
That surge of magic far surpassed anything before, causing the air to stagnate and the air pressure to drop suddenly.
Loren channeled the magic within him, quickly forming an airflow shield in front of his body.
Amidst Geyate's relentless assault, the shield soon showed signs of strain, developing fine cracks and looking ready to collapse at any moment.
Loren's magic power erupted from within, and in an instant, countless dazzling lights burst forth from his body, intertwining in the air to form a typhoon that carried the force of a thousand troops and crashed towards Geyate.
The two destructive forces violently collided in the void, exploding with a thunderous roar that reverberated through the heavens and the earth.
Both of their barriers instantly disintegrated, resulting in a massive control cancellation.
Loren panted, struggling to catch his breath.
Meanwhile, Geyate across from him still looked rather relaxed.
Being proficient in illusion and seal magic, Geyate's forte was his mental prowess. If Loren continued to drag this out, the odds were that his magic power would be depleted first.
The only option now was to stall for time as best he could, using more divine arts and fewer spells, giving Julianna enough time to escape. Then, he would figure out a way to get away from Geyate.
Divine arts tended to borrow the power that formed the universe from the gods, resulting in less mana consumption compared to spells, but the number of times they could be used per day was limited, or it would lead to mental breakdown.
The real challenge, however, was how to escape Geyate's grasp.
That relentless control was incredibly pesky, and trying to flee from Geyate's grasp might be even more difficult than defeating him outright.
Thinking of this, Loren took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. There was no use in overthinking; all he needed to do now was focus on the battle at hand.
Unexpectedly, Geyate suddenly retracted all his magic power and elegantly straightened his clothes, which had been rumpled by the previous battle. He looked at Loren with a playful expression, as if toying with his prey.
"Mr. Loren, do you really think I want to defeat you?" Geyate asked, as if seeing through Loren's intention to stall for time.
He didn't seem to mind Loren's plan.
"What do you mean...?" Loren furrowed his brow, sensing that something was amiss.
Geyate's attitude was far too casual, as if he were playing with his prey.
Could it be... that he had another motive? Loren kept a close eye on Geyate's every move.
"Is it possible that, from the beginning, I also wanted to stall you?" Geyate countered, not answering the question but instead gazing meaningfully into the distance, a cryptic smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Suddenly, a dazzling red light pierced through the thick clouds, like a giant comet falling into the canyon.
The impact stirred up violent winds, causing the trees in the canyon to sway back and forth.
As he watched the sea of fire created by the red comet, Geyate picked up his mechanical staff once more.
Loren didn't have time to pay further attention to Geyate as a chilling sensation ran down his spine.
He turned his gaze towards the direction of the red light, seeing a pit hundreds of meters deep that had formed in the ground, with waves of scorching heat rolling forth.
At the center of the pit stood a fierce figure clad in dark red heavy armor.
His black hair billowed like flames, his eyes bloodshot and piercing, his gaze as sharp as a blade, and his entire body surrounded by a scorching aura that warped even the air itself.
The earth seemed to bow under his oppressive might, and the air burned in his presence.
"The Seventh War God of the Krexi Empire, the War God of Blood Jasper, Philip?!" Loren exclaimed, taken aback by the sudden appearance.
Before he could even process what was happening, Philip's figure had swiftly enlarged in his vision.
Philip lunged forward, his fist engulfed in raging flames as he punched out.
The fist wind, accompanied by a sea of flames, roared towards Loren, carrying an overwhelming force as it slammed into the radiant shield that Loren had hastily erected.
At the same time, Geyate casually twirled his mechanical staff, instantly shattering Loren's light shield into countless fragments. Loren had no choice but to use a more urgent defensive spell to block Philip's assault.
The Seventh War God, Philip, thrust his right fist forward, his punch filled with explosive power and murderous intent.
As the deafening boom reverberated through the canyon, dust and debris filled the air, and Loren was sent flying by the impact.
The violent force caused the entire valley to collapse like a tidal wave, the collision creating a shockwave that spread faster than the sound of thunder, shaking the entire Valhalla Canyon!
Before Loren could even catch his breath, the Third War God, Geyate, struck again without warning.
Countless purple-black chains burst out from the ground, instantly binding Loren tightly.
Loren struggled desperately, but those sinister chains clung to his body like leeches, relentlessly draining his magic power.
In the blink of an eye, the Seventh War God, Philip, threw another punch.
His fist, imbued with the might of a thousand jun, hurtled towards Loren, the fist wind carrying an intense heat that seemed to scorch the very air.
Unbeknownst to Loren, a faint scent of sandalwood wafted through the air, a stark contrast to the chilly night winds of the canyon.
Loren's eyes widened as he sensed the direction of the scent.
There, on the other side of the canyon, stood a young man in a white robe embroidered with intricate and exquisite patterns.
He had short, light golden hair and a clear-cut face.
But what was truly unnerving were his eyes—a pair of clear and lucid silver irises that seemed to see through everything.
"It's an honor to finally meet you, Mr. Loren."
The Eleventh War God, Simon Luo, the War God of Jade, appeared in mid-air.
With a wave of his hand, he instantly healed Philip's injuries, causing the wounds on Philip's body from the previous exchange with Loren to vanish. Philip's martial energy also recovered to its peak state.
Loren took a sharp breath as he surveyed the three War Gods surrounding him in the dusky canyon.
He understood their plan.
Even the Eleventh War God, Simon Luo, who specialized in [Healing] and [Wind], had arrived.
These three War Gods, instead of splitting up to pursue Julianna, had all remained here, as if they had calculated to finish him off securely.
From the very beginning, their intention had been to hunt down the top combatants of the United Parliament Alliance of the Kingdom.
"We had only hoped to take care of Julianna, but who would've thought that the big fish we'd hook would be you, Archpriest Loren."
A hint of regret laced Simon Luo's voice as a smile played at the corners of his mouth.
"..."
Loren stared at the scene before him, shocked that three War Gods had joined forces.
But the question was, how had they managed to plan such a perfect hidden route, evading the Kingdom's surveillance and successfully pinpointing Julianna's location?
The night wind howled through the canyon, the sky darkened, and the blood moon hung high.
The three War Gods gazed at each other from a distance, their eyes looking down at Loren.
Loren stood alone, bathed in the pale red moonlight, his face filled with despair.
Life and death no longer mattered.
What was important now was what he could still do.
"Sorry, Lanchi. Looks like we won't get to meet again."
Loren couldn't fathom a way to defeat these three opponents, nor could he go and get Lanchi.
From the start, the outcome had been clear.
Like melting ice, the sighing waves.
He muttered to himself.
"Are you afraid, Archpriest Loren?"
Philip, the War God of Blood Jasper, watched Loren's solemn expression and couldn't help but smile.
Of all the enemies he had faced at the brink of death, Loren was the calmest, and it was because of this calmness that Philip believed Loren understood the despair that awaited him better than anyone.
"To live in this world, who wouldn't be afraid?"
Loren cast aside his priestly robe, leaving only the black shirt underneath.
His eyes, like the coldest winter lake, pierced through the storm currents as he stared at his three adversaries.
"We are well aware of the atrocities committed by the Krexi Empire, and even if it's not me, there will eventually be someone who will break this endless cycle and bring about karma."
His eyes seemed filled with silver light, his magic power surging to its peak.
Though he spoke thus, in this final moment, he could cast aside the restraints of being a high priest and fight as a pure man!
In the canyon beyond the eastern border of the Kingdom of Yaloran, the winds howled under the blood moon. A divine-age battle was about to erupt once more.
Like lamps illuminating the night sky, the darkness occasionally turned to daylight, only to quickly fade again.
(End of Chapter)
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