Chapter Eighty-Two: Shadows
If the Path of Sacrifice represented the devotion and unceasing burning of Glor, and Protection represented the compassion and steadfast will of Glor, then the Path of Judgment was the majesty and endless ardor of Glor.
Xu En raised the candle, making a praying gesture, and then the scorching fire descended along with the cold light. It drew a cross-shaped pattern above the hall, with Wilson precisely in the center of that pattern.
I’m going to die!
Wilson’s fear was almost overflowing. The mangled remains, having lost its limbs, writhed and grew human-like hands and feet.
The newly born body was like a corpse stripped of its skin, with only the trembling of muscles and the spurting of blood, without the protection of skin. Yet, even so, he retained his previous strength and savagery, every piece of flesh bringing him terrifying power and keen senses.
But the icy killing intent had locked onto him, and he had nowhere to escape.
“Divine Prayer: Punishment!”
As the divine ability was activated, the cross forged by light and fire quietly collapsed, turning into a sky full of light feathers that slowly drifted down. Wilson desperately tried to escape, but there were too many light feathers, and no matter how he fled within the hall, they still landed on him.
Pale fire instantly ignited him. Wilson wailed in agony, every exposed inch of his muscle engulfed in flames, and his flesh scorched until it was brittle. However, drinking the first, sweet mouthful of blood from the cup had brought him unprecedented vitality; every time his flesh was scorched, new flesh grew from within.
Wilson did not die, yet he was in more pain than death.
Just then, an unexpected change occurred.
The deep darkness that had confined Moria suddenly spread out, engulfing the entire hall.
Instantly, there was not a trace of light left in the hall, and even sound was extinguished. Only breath-taking silence and darkness existed.
This silence and darkness did not last long, and was soon shattered by the light like a shattered mirror.
Until the light descended again, everyone gasped like drowning people who had been saved.
However, the brightness of the hall could no longer return to its previous level. A layer of cold, melancholic shadow lingered, refusing to dissipate.
Moria, the Eldest Son of the Holy See, was covered in blood. His expression was haggard, but his gaze was brighter than ever. The Knight’s Sword in his hand was surrounded by fire but was already covered in cracks.
Opposite him, Old Sem hunched over. He had long lost all life aura but still stood, his pupils completely covered by darkness.
Xu En, whose divine ability was forcibly interrupted, felt a tingling sensation on his scalp. He looked at Old Sem, or rather, at his shadow.
It was definitely not Old Sem’s shadow. It was elegant and arrogant, like a noble gentleman holding a scepter, tapping it rhythmically.
The dead Old Sem swayed with the shadow’s movements, as if he were the shadow, and the shadow… was the true living being.
What kind of monster is this?
Even though he had been entangled with Dark Dawn for a long time, Xu En had never seen such an eerie spell.
“Who exactly are you?”
Moria shouted loudly, not at the already dead old man, but at the shadow at his feet.
Hearing the question, the shadow shook its head, seemingly laughing mockingly. Then, the shadow slowly faded until it disappeared. Old Sem’s corpse, having lost its shadow, instantly fell down, and the darkness in his eyes gradually receded.
Moria did not relax. The longsword in his hand cracked layer by layer, and strange incantations crawled all over his body for a moment before disappearing.
Meanwhile, Wilson, who had barely survived, was overjoyed. With two more people dead at the banquet and new blood overflowing from the cups, this was his chance.
Most importantly, everyone’s attention was no longer on him.
Wilson immediately shed most of his flesh, splitting off a piece of meat the size of a finger and shooting it out with speed that no one could react to.
“Stop him quickly!”
Li Wen was the first to react. If she hadn’t been too slow, Wilson’s trick would never have succeeded.
However, at Li Wen’s warning, Moria, the only one who could react effectively, coughed violently as soon as he raised his hand. Every cough spewed out congealed black blood, as if he were critically ill.
Thus, Wilson, whom no one could stop, fell into the cup and drank its blood dry.
Soon, a bloody little figure the size of a fist emerged from the cup. Its entire body was made of animated flesh, and it had no other features except for its eyes and mouth.
“So delicious, so intoxicating! I can’t wait to peel your skins and drink all your blood.”
The little figure licked the bloodstains on its body, its eyes flashing with scarlet light.
This time, it had drunk the blood of the betrayer and the Magician, making it even more powerful.
“Deal with Wilson first!”
Li Wen said coldly to Xu En.
The captain of the Disciplinary Bureau’s investigation team gritted his teeth and looked at his teammates, “Listen to her.”
The deaths of his teammates had already made him lose the idea of watching the Tigers fight from a distance.
In his eyes, Wilson was very weak, barely meeting the standard for Stage One. Although he seemed to have strong vitality and couldn’t be killed, this was just the basic ability of a Transcendent of the Flesh Path. However, Wilson’s previous methods were too cunning, easily killing his Stage Two teammate.
This almost drove Xu En mad, and it also made him realize that Wilson was by no means someone whose strength could be judged by his Path Stage.
This was the opponent’s home ground, and a large-scale ritual had been set up. If they weren’t careful, they might all be annihilated here today.
“Then come on!”
If it had been timid before and could only prepare to make a move on the weaker ones first, it was now fearless. Neither the Transcendent of the Path of Judgment nor the priest who was barely breathing were its match anymore!
Crimson Feast was equivalent to its Path. Now that it had drunk the blood of three people, it had strength equivalent to Stage Three.
Wilson was fantasizing, while Li Wen had completed her prayer.
Thirst for Light!
A grey moth flew out from the shadow at Li Wen’s feet. It was burning with illusory flames, swaying precariously but resolutely flying towards Wilson’s eyes.
What is this thing?
Wilson reached out to grab the moth. In his eyes, the moth was moving so slowly it was almost stationary, but to his surprise, his hand passed right through it. The moth thus easily flew into his eye.
He felt his body’s condition, but Wilson didn’t notice anything wrong. Instead, the light in the hall seemed a bit too dim, making him a little agitated.
“Then I will use your corpses as fuel to light this place up,” Wilson said with a cruel smile.
“Look into my eyes…”
As it spoke, it pointed at the scorched body that had been discarded and lay motionless on the ground. A red light shot directly towards the body and quickly drilled into it.
Then, the body opened its eyes, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth, and said together with the little Wilson: “Prepare to die!”
