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Chapter 242: The Start of the Holy Domain Battle
🕑 Added 2024-09-25 07:30:25 +0000 UTCRhett immediately ordered Hogg to descend onto Gold Flute Island. The island was deserted, and Rhett couldn't sense any magical beasts or wild animals.
Arriving at the center of the island, several coconut trees were scattered around. Beneath the large leaves hung round, green coconuts.
Rhett's lips curled into a smile. While waiting patiently for the Thunder Armor Turtle, he extended his mental power, knocking down a few coconuts for Hogg to try.
Slurp, slurp
Hogg blinked its bright eyes, staring at the coconut Rhett handed over. After taking a sip, it couldn't stop. The sound of it sucking the coconut juice echoed loudly. Perhaps it was the first time Hogg had tasted such a flavor, light and sweet, and it seemed to have become addicted!
Rhett chuckled and took a sip himself.
Half an hour later, the ground was littered with over a dozen coconut shells, most of them Hogg’s doing—after all, the appetite of a magical beast far exceeded that of humans.
Rhett controlled the earth element, dug a few small pits, and buried the coconut shells.
At this moment, a kilometer away on the sea's horizon, a Thunder Armor Turtle leisurely swam through the water. Its head occasionally popped above the surface, then submerged again, spitting out small water bubbles. Its back was covered with a wide, thick shell, crisscrossed with deep green, crack-like lines.
Suddenly, the turtle’s swimming slowed as it detected the aura of a first-tier magical beast on the island. Excited, it let out a cheerful cry. Its slow brain believed this was a meal delivered by the heavens!
With that, the Thunder Armor Turtle, which had been preparing to lay eggs, sped up and swam toward the island. As it swam, it imagined reaching the warm island, burrowing into a soft sandy pit, and enjoying a feast—how delightful that would be for a turtle!
On Gold Flute Island, Rhett had just finished filling in the pits when he suddenly paused.
He turned abruptly, looking through the gaps between the coconut trees. In his mental perception, a third-tier magical beast was approaching, an unfamiliar aura—but Rhett was certain it was the Thunder Armor Turtle!
Handling a third-tier Thunder Armor Turtle was child's play for Rhett. He swiftly moved toward the approaching beast, and as soon as he emerged from the coconut grove, he came face-to-face with the turtle, which had just climbed onto the beach.
The Thunder Armor Turtle instinctively halted, standing on the sandy shore. Its sluggish brain hadn’t yet registered what was happening.
From behind, Hogg curiously poked its head out from the grove, tilting its head at the massive Thunder Armor Turtle. It had never seen such a creature before, and the huge shell on its back was quite a novelty for it...
Upon seeing Hogg, the Thunder Armor Turtle’s eyes lit up, and its predatory instincts stirred. It raised its wide front paws, ready to rush forward and tear Hogg apart.
But just as the Thunder Armor Turtle made its move, Rhett struck first!
A sharp earth spike shot out from the ground, piercing the turtle from below and suspending it in the air. It let out a strange, pained cry.
"Whimper, whimper..."
The turtle howled in agony, and as it gazed at the human before it, fear filled its eyes.
As its life force quickly drained away, a mental shock hit its brain, and it passed out instantly!
Rhett walked up and patted the turtle's shell. With a flick of his fingers, a swirl of wind element enveloped the turtle. Effortlessly, Rhett lifted it.
Throwing it beside Hogg, Rhett said softly, "Let's go, Hogg. Continue eastward..."
More than half a month later.
Reim Kingdom.
Night blanketed the land, shrouding everything in darkness. The moon was obscured by a dark cloud.
In the alley of the Circular Market, a faint blood-red light flickered.
The next moment, ripples appeared in the space, and a figure draped in a gray cloak suddenly materialized beside a wall.
The gray-cloaked figure wore a hood, and a blood-red cloak hung limply behind him. He raised his head, his face shrouded in swirling mist, making it impossible to discern his true features, exuding an eerie aura.
Walking with rhythmic footsteps, the figure's pale hands were exposed.
He glanced around, seemingly surveying his surroundings.
The Circular Market at night was dimly lit, but the soft glow reflected the bustling traffic of extraordinary beings.
After a few minutes, the gray-cloaked figure halted, gazing at the street with a sinister smile.
Looking up at a distant tower, he muttered in a cold, eerie voice:
"Reim Kingdom... the Circular Tower dares to investigate me? Hmph, what can a Holy Domain organization do? Tonight, blood will surely flow like a river..."
His voice was quiet, yet strangely, none of the extraordinary beings moving about the street noticed him.
Even as the figure stepped out onto the street, he remained unseen, as though he were nothing but air.
Indeed, the gray-cloaked figure was none other than the Blood God Cult Leader. Using the powers of the Holy Domain, he easily concealed himself from the eyes of mere minions.
He scanned his surroundings with a cautious frown and muttered:
"Still... if they managed to track me down with just a few clues, it shows that the Holy Domain here does have some real skill. I'd better scout the area first..."
Top of the Circular Tower.
"Milan, are you sure about this information? How could a Holy Domain entity dare attack our Circular Tower? Is there truly someone this foolish in the world?"
On the quiet rooftop stood five terrifyingly powerful Holy Domain beings, though they were shielded by a transparent barrier, making them invisible to any onlookers.
At that moment, Hypaster had already been waiting with the others for three days and nights. With no sign of the attacker mentioned by the King of Goldren, he was beginning to harbor doubts.
"Whether it's true or not, we'll know soon. Is the safety of the Circular Tower not worth a few extra days of caution?" Milan responded coolly, his expression unchanged.
"True enough. Besides, Milan is a king; he wouldn't make such a foolish joke. Otherwise, he'd be the laughingstock of future generations," the King of Reim chimed in with a sarcastic smile, seemingly backing Milan, though his words carried a veiled hostility. He was also beginning to suspect that Milan might be wasting their time for some ulterior motive. After all, all three of Reim's Holy Domain experts were here, while one from the Kingdom of Goldren was absent. Who knew what Milan might be up to?
Milan, clad in red armor, furrowed his brow almost imperceptibly but said nothing more. Even he wasn’t completely sure if Rhett was joking or not.
At that moment, the white-robed woman standing beside Milan spoke in a raspy voice: "If it's a Holy Domain being who has comprehended the 'Invisibility' Profound, and if their understanding is deep, it's not impossible they could evade our senses..."
"Indeed, perhaps they already came, saw our ambush, and fled," Milan remarked, nodding approvingly at Mona. This explanation, while somewhat unreasonable, would serve as a good excuse if no attacker appeared—it would at least save face.
"Hahaha," chuckled a thin elderly man, stroking his long beard. "You needn't worry, King Milan. Last year, Poseis comprehended the Light Profound. Even someone skilled in the Invisibility Profound might not escape her detection."
"The Light Profound?!"
Milan exclaimed in shock, his pupils shrinking as he glanced at the dwarf behind the King of Reim, who was the frail-looking elder that had spoken.
"Congratulations, Poseis, for comprehending a third Profound. Surely no one in the entire Reim Kingdom can match your strength now..." Mona rasped, her voice hoarse.
"Just luck..." the Holy Domain dwarf of the Light element responded coolly.
Hearing this exchange, the King of Reim's expression darkened. He was displeased with Mona's attempt to sow discord.
Though the Kingdom of Goldren and the Reim Kingdom were both part of the Human Alliance and generally cooperated, there were still undercurrents of rivalry between them.
After this brief verbal skirmish, the atmosphere fell into an eerie silence.
"Hmph, we'll wait three more days. If no one attacks by then, we'll know this was a hoax. We can't afford to waste more time here!" the King of Reim said, his expression returning to calm.
Milan inwardly sighed but outwardly remained composed, nodding slightly in agreement.
The sun rose and set, and the waning moon once again climbed into the sky.
The next day.
Dusk deepened, and a thick mist shrouded the forests on the outskirts of the Reim Kingdom, enveloping the Circular Tower in a murky veil.
Hypaster had just finished a day of work—though they were on guard for an attack on the Circular Tower, it didn’t stop him from conducting a few minor experiments in his chamber.
Staring into the swirling rainbow-colored vortex in his cauldron, Hypaster muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear, "What is Rhett up to? Could there really be a mysterious figure sending him messages?"
Drawing five Holy Domain experts together was no small matter. Hypaster had originally planned to visit Rhett’s territory to retrieve the Blood Origin Pearl, but after receiving this critical information, he had to prioritize his stronghold, returning to the Circular Tower without delay.
With two more days left of this vigilance, Hypaster shook his head lightly. Afterward, he planned to visit Darkhawk City and find out exactly what was going on!
And, of course, he would collect what was owed to him—his stories weren't told for free...
Hypaster extinguished the flames and deactivated his alchemical instruments, casting a blue mist from his hand.
In the next instant, the liquid in the cauldron ceased boiling, solidifying into a jelly-like crystal.
Sealing the cauldron, Hypaster patted his hands and prepared to leave the room.
But at that moment, a faint mental ripple entered his ears. This was a method only Holy Domain beings could use, akin to transmitting messages across space.
After receiving the message, Hypaster immediately recognized the voice of Poseis, the Holy Domain expert of the Light element:
"An intruder has entered the Circular Market! Come quickly for support!"
Hypaster’s hand froze on the cauldron lid, his expression instantly stiffening, disbelief flashing in his eyes.
The next moment, his body dissolved into a wisp of blue smoke and disappeared from the room.
When his form reassembled, he was standing amidst four other Holy Domain experts, the last to arrive.
Below them, the Blood God Cult Leader stood with a frown, staring up at the five figures in the sky, equally shocked—were they lying in wait for him?
Otherwise, it was far too coincidental. He had only just exposed a sliver of his aura, and yet five Holy Domain experts had immediately appeared!
What baffled him even more was the fact that no single kingdom could amass five Holy Domain experts. It would take at least the combined forces of two nations!
"Blood God Cult Leader?"
Hypaster narrowed his eyes, gazing at the gray-cloaked figure below.
"Hypaster, you know him?" Milan asked in surprise, glancing at the master of the Circular Tower.
Hypaster nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm… Recently, I've been investigating an evil elf. I have one of the Blood God Cult Leader's former test subjects, and it seems the elf has been under his control. If the experiment succeeds, he might be able to exert terrifying control over people..."
As one of the continent's top alchemists, Hypaster's relentless investigations had uncovered some of the truth. He had even tracked down several of the Blood God Cult Leader’s key locations.
Upon hearing this, the other Holy Domain experts were stunned!
Terrifying control over people?
That was not a power that belonged to this world, and it sounded far too dangerous—such an ability could not be allowed to exist!
The long-standing rule was that no foreign powers, especially evil ones, would be allowed to take root in the native world. This had been the case since the first Holy Domain experts realized the presence of projections from higher worlds.
Milan’s face darkened further. Such an ability would be perfect for creating traitors. Could this man be behind the traitors within his own kingdom? In that instant, Milan’s hostility toward the Blood God Cult Leader reached its peak!
The other Holy Domain experts shared his sentiment, their gazes filled with killing intent as they looked at the Blood God Cult Leader.
Surrounded by five Holy Domain experts, the Blood God Cult Leader’s expression grew grim. His eyes flicked warily between the five powerful figures above.
If it were one or two of them, he was confident he could handle it. But five? The pressure was overwhelming...
"Damn it all. How did they get wind of my plans?"
The Blood God Cult Leader’s thoughts raced. Could there be a traitor within his ranks? But so few knew of his movements…
In the brief moment of his internal struggle, the Holy Domain experts had already launched their assault!
Hypaster’s two-meter-long staff radiated brilliant light, and the sky turned a deep shade of blue. An overwhelming chill filled the air as if it intended to freeze the entire space. The cold tightened and compressed, descending toward the Blood God Cult Leader below!
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